








Glass 

Book. -i_L _.ZT 
Copyright N° _i i. 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 









HELEN ORMESBY 


















































































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i! ‘Why can’t we cut 


off expenses and stay 


where we are?”' 


[Page 12] 









HELEN ORMESBY 


AUTHOR OF 


BY 

BELLE MOSES 

I ' 

“LOUISA M. ALCOTT,” "CHARLES DICKENS," 
AND “LEWIS CARROLL" 



ILLUSTRATED 


9 0 

> J * 


NEW YORK AND LONDON 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 




Copyright, 1912, by 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 


Published September, 1912 


Printed in the United States of America 


CCI.A32712G 


s- 


“ Let the maiden , with erect soul \ walk 
sere?iely on her way, accept the hint of 
each new experience, search in turn all 
the objects that solicit her eye, that she 
may learn the power and the charm of 
her new-born being, which is the kindling 
of a new dawn in the recesses of space.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 

PAGE 


‘ Why can’t we cut off expenses and stay where 
we are ? ’ ” Frontispiece 

* I'll read some of the headings’” .... 66 

And so they went off like a pair of happy 

children” 182 

Priscilla at her spinning-wheel could not be 

simpler or more winning” 244 



i 

J9 


i' 




HELEN ORMESBY 


CHAPTER I 

H ELEN, HELEN! We shall be later called a 
chorus of voices from the broad stone steps 
of the College. The ’bus had rattled up to the 
door, and half-a-dozen girls, in their gay-colored summer 
plumage, stood poised for flight, but still no Helen. 

“ She’s gone back to weep over a forgotten piece of 
furniture, ” said Edith Carlyle. “ She kissed everything 
in her room last night, even to the rugs on the floor, like 
a ‘ Sentimental Tommy. ’ It’s beautiful to have that 
spirit about one’s Alma Mater , but it doesn’t belong to 
this world. ” 

“ Much you know about this world ! ” retorted Sylvia 
Browne. ‘Any one who dares to write a Commencement 
Ode and get a prize for it, is certainly not a worldling. 
But I wish she would hurry, I’d like to be off and away, 
I dread and despise prolonged partings ; they destroy the 
taste of these delightful days. Oh, how good it is to 
feel that at last we’re educated ! ” 

“ Young ladies, our education is never completed, ” 
drawled Josephine Ashton, in such a perfect imitation 
of Professor Felton’s voice and manner, that that gentle- 
man, standing among the Faculty group just inside the 
spacious hall, turned away to hide his laughter. 

“ Here she comes ! ” cried the Barton twins together 


i 


HELEN ORMESBY 


— they always trotted in harness — “ she’s stopping in the 
hall to paw the Faculty. ” 

“ Oh, she’s doing the whole show, paws for the men 
and pecks for the women, no wonder Helen was popular. 
I wish I had that gift of being agreeable without any 
effort, ” sighed Sylvia. 

“ My dear, social lights are born, not made, you might 
put Helen in a barrel, and she’d pop out again with her 
own little genial bow, perfectly well-bred, and with just 
the right word to say; but nevertheless, I’m going to 
haul her out by the hair, or we shall certainly miss our 
train, ” and Ruth Edgerton stalked grimly back into 
the hall. 

She was just in time; the Faculty had positively 
closed in about Helen; there were audible sniffs among 
the women folk, while the men hid their emotion behind 
a somewhat overdone geniality. When Helen emerged 
at last, there were suspicious tears in her brown eyes, 
and her hat looked rakish. 

“ You’re a sight, my love, ” said Ruth consolingly. 
“ Just twist yourself into shape, for we haven’t a mo- 
ment to lose if we’re to catch the 3.25 to New York. 
Come along, girls, we’ve scarcely time to check our 
trunks. ” 

Helen laughingly settled her hat at the right angle, 
smoothed back a few unruly strands of her bronze hair, 
and joined the others in the ’bus. 

“ Let us give the yell as we go off, ” she said, and 
the staid old horses, startled by the unwonted sound, quite 
lost their heads, and ran like a pair of colts. 

The Faculty was used to these demonstrations; each 
summer a bevy of graduates made their exit in just 
this way, and were remembered only as pleasant or un- 
pleasant incidents connected with the College ; but Helen 


2 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Ormesby’s going meant a big streak of sunshine out of 
their lives. 

Old Joe, the rheumatic driver, cracked his whip many 
times during the ride to the station, probably in his 
hardened bosom regrets were faintly stirring. He was 
not given to emotion, but many a plug of tobacco had 
Helen Ormesby brought him from New York when she 
returned from her vacations, and even now she was 
getting up a subscription for his benefit among her 
companions in the ’bus. 

“ We must give the dear old growler something for 
good luck, ” she said, and generously began with a five 
dollar bill. 

“ Dear me ! I can’t keep up with that, ” declared 
Ruth. “ Two dollars is my limit, unless I beg or bor- 
row on my way home, and I don’t like to begin life 
that way. How you ever keep your money with that 
lavish streak in you, Helen, I can’t understand. ” 

“ I don’t,” said Helen affably. “ Father gives me 
what I need, and when that is gone, I ask for more — it’s 
very simple. ” 

“ Yes, it has all the simplicity of the square root,” re- 
marked Edith Carlyle, passing on her bill to the general 
pile, and by the time the station was reached and old 
Joe had limped around to help the girls with their 
suit-cases, Helen was able to thrust a nice little roll of 
bills into his knotted hand. 

He sputtered out his thanks as he touched his cap, 
for Joe was a man of the fewest possible words, and 
he looked devoutly grateful when the train, rushing 
in at this moment, stopped all further demonstration. 

A sudden sadness fell upon the seven girls as they 
watched the little station receding from their view. They 
had come and gone many times in the years of College 

3 


HELEN ORMESBY 

life, but there was a finality about this going; all the 
hopes and aspirations which had found safe shelter in 
the fastness of those ivy-clad walls were now to be sent 
forth into the world, a very alluring world no doubt, for 
not one among the seven had a care for the future. 

The Barton twins were going South, to be belles in 
their native town. They were pretty, dark-haired, velvet- 
eyed little girls, as like as two peas in a pod. Only the 
initiated could tell Alice from Elsie, some little trick of 
expression or gesture being the only distinguishing 
marks. 

Edith Carlyle, with her blue eyes and angelic face, 
surrounded by an aureole of golden hair, had serious 
thoughts of being a trained nurse — perhaps the little 
witch knew how becoming a nurse’s uniform would be 
to her. At any rate, she could already give first aid 
to the injured, and had a great many practical ideas on 
the subject. She lived a little way out of New York, 
on a beautiful estate overlooking the Hudson, and held 
many serious views about things, which were also very 
becoming. 

Sylvia Browne had no further ambition than just to 
live in New York, with plenty of money and pretty 
clothes, and lots of fun. She was a veritable butterfly, 
full of bright, vivacious chatter, quick at learning, but 
with no thought or care for anything more serious. She 
was the youngest of the family, and all spoiled and petted 
this lovable child, from old Ben, the butler, who had 
known her from babyhood, to the stately and unap- 
proachable cook below stairs. 

Ruth Edgerton wrote; she wore glasses on her small 
nose, and aimed at high things. Her novel of purpose 
should startle the world. The Edgertons owned a ranch 
in the far West, spending six months in the big city and 

4 


HELEN ORMESBY 


six on the great plains; there would be ample oppor- 
tunity to study life in its many phases. 

Josephine Ashton came of a musical family. The 
Ashtons lived in Philadelphia, in a stately old-fashioned 
mansion, in a stately old-fashioned style; music was the 
key-note of their lives. An older sister played the piano 
like a professional ; her brother was a ’cellist of no small 
merit, and Josephine’s ambition centered round her 
violin. The tall, dark, dreamy-looking girl had music in 
her soul, and having, besides, every advantage that money 
could give her, her violin became a living thing in her 
hands. 

It was during a visit to the Ashtons, one memorable 
Thanksgiving, that Helen Ormesby discovered her am- 
bition, at least the Ashtons discovered that she had a 
powerful contralto voice, and urged her so earnestly to 
begin its training, that the last two years at College saw 
her well on the way. Her great desire was to go abroad 
for a year’s study before coming out; but she was 
keeping this wish well in the background, she knew how 
her mother and father had missed her since Hugh went 
to sea, and how empty the big Fifth Avenue house would 
seem if she, too, spread her wings. She was thinking 
of this now in the silence which had fallen upon them 
all, but Sylvia Browne could not preserve silence for 
very long. 

“ Has any one ever thought of the future ? ” she asked, 
in her most inconsequent tone. “ Where we shall be for 
instance, five years from now?” 

“ Married I dare say, that’s what we all come to,” 
said Alice Barton, with an air of authority. “ Elsie and 
I will probably dance a few seasons at home, not more 
than two, or we’ll be dubbed old maids. Then we’ll 
probably have a love-affair.” 

5 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Only one ? ” asked Edith Carlyle. 

“ Don’t be silly, I meant apiece; or we might get 
mixed up — we often do, you know. ” 

“ Wait a minute, girls, I’m going to turn prophet, ” 
cried Ruth Edgerton. “ Five years hence, we seven will 
be speeding back to our Alma Mater for an Alumnae 
reunion, is that agreed ? ” 

“Yes, yes! ” they cried, while people all about them 
smiled at their enthusiasm, “ from the farthest ends of 
the earth. ” 

“ Alice and Elsie will bring the children, dear little 
dumplings, with their Southern ‘ Mammies. ’ Edith 
having captured the house-surgeon of the great hospital 
where she’s going to serve humanity, will bring him 
along. Josephine will possibly be in foreign lands — it 
depends on Naval orders,” said Ruth, slyly, while Jo- 
sephine turned crimson as the laugh went around, and 
Helen tried to look unconscious, for her sailor brother’s 
liking for the young violinist could not escape notice. 

“ Sylvia won’t be married, she’s quite too giddy to 
settle down, and every one will say : ‘ Dear me, that girl 
hasn’t changed a mite, she’s remarkably well preserved, 
I wonder what she does to her hair.’ ” Again there was 
a ripple of laughter, for Sylvia’s hair was all shades and 
glints of golden brown. 

“ Your humble servant, in five years’ time, will bear 
her first book on a silver salver to present to the College 
library; I’ll have a professional squint, and know all 
things of all men. As for Helen — there are so many 
things that could happen to a girl like Helen. She’ll go 
abroad, and develop such a glorious voice that people 
will flock beneath her windows to hear her sing her 
scales. ” 


6 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Sylvia shook her head. “ I wouldn’t voluntarily 
listen to an angel singing scales — what next?” 

“ She’ll be followed home by a string of the nobility, 
but she will have none of them, she’ll rush out to the 
reunion because she’s so fond of — of the Faculty. ” 
There was a perfect shriek of laughter after this 
sally, Helen joining with the others, but behind all the 
fun something lurked in the depths of the brown eyes, 
only for a moment however, for no gravity could linger 
among that merry group. 

There was to be a week in New York before the 
“ We are Seven Club ” separated for the summer. This 
chosen coterie had elected to remain behind a few days af- 
ter the Commencement exercises, so the proud mammas 
and papas had journeyed back to the City, while the 
“ Seven,” as guests of the Faculty, had enjoyed the un- 
wonted freedom, beneath the stately roof of the College. 

“To think of any one reducing Mathematics to its 
lowest terms, and walking arm in arm with a Latin dic- 
tionary ! It sounds like a fable,” said Sylvia. “ The 
Faculty was real human, with the dry-as-dust rubbed off 
— and didn’t we have fun ! ” 

The train was drawing into the great station and the 
girls were in a little flutter, straightening their hats, pull- 
ing on their gloves, and collecting their traps. They 
were to meet the next day, and the next, and the next, 
but this was the real parting of the ways — and each 
one felt it, though no one said it. In the throng of 
people pressing round the gates, they each managed to 
pick up some kind of a relative, and Helen, with a glad 
little cry flew to her father, whose tall figure, with its 
crop of silver hair, stood a head at least above the 
crowd. 


7 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Oh, Daddy, why didn’t you come to the end ! ” she 
exclaimed, flinging her arms about his neck, regardless 
of spectators. 

“Well, I just couldn’t, dear; business, business you 
know — of the worst sort. I had to be on the spot, you 
see, that was the trouble; my earthly form was at my 
dusty old desk, my soul was soaring to your heights at 
the College. It was too bad. There’s John, give him 
your satchel, Jerry is waiting outside with the Victoria. 
I told your mother I’d stop for you on my way up 
town. ” 

The “ Seven ” made quite a showing as they stood to- 
gether for a moment in the vast waiting-room. The 
twins each had an arm of their mother; Edith Carlyle 
was clinging to a handsome gentleman, who was cer- 
tainly her father ; Mr. and Mrs. Ashton had appropriated 
Josephine; Ruth Edgerton was with a little lady, un- 
mistakably her mother, and Sylvia Browne was chatting 
volubly with a couple of big brothers. 

“ Well, au rev oir, girls, ” called Helen. “ I’ll see you 
all to-morrow, this isn’t the end of our jolly little club, I 
hope. Come, Father, if you only knew how I ached for 
the dear, lovely house, and a sight of Mother, in her 
pretty evening gown, and all the lights and flowers — I’ll 
wear my prettiest to-night, even though it is June, some 
one will be sure to drop in. Now here we are; how do 
you do, Jerry? ” she nodded gayly to their old coachman, 
who grinned as he touched his hat; then she flitted into 
the cushioned seat of the well-appointed Victoria, and 
her quick eye watched her father as he paused to give 
Jerry his orders. 

Something was amiss — was it imagination — or did 
the broad shoulders stoop a little? There was a tired 
look in the eyes, too, quite unusual she assured herself, 
8 


HELEN ORMESBY 


yet as he took his seat beside her, the shadow, if indeed 
it was a shadow, seemed to pass. He was as eager to 
hear all the College news as she was to tell it, and by the 
time the carriage had stopped before the beautiful gray 
stone mansion, he had been laughing like a schoolboy over 
some of the girls’ escapades. 

As Helen put her foot upon the steps, she became 
transfixed with amazement, for looking down into the 
spacious area, a sign “ For Rent ” stood on a pedestal, 
in the most conspicuous position. 

“ What — what is the meaning of that ? ” she de- 
manded, pointing to it with an eloquent finger. 

He tried to answer lightly, but his face had grown 
pale and his eyes were troubled. 

“ Thereby hangs a tale, ” he said. “ You shall hear 
all about it later. I had meant to tell John to move that 
sign, I did not want it to spoil your home-coming. We 
are not dead or dying, it’s only a sign after all. Cheer 
up, little girl, we are not going to talk about it until 
after dinner, when we’ll hold a consultation; I really 
want to ask your advice about things ; a College graduate 
should at least be able to give that gratis " 

Helen’s brown eyes met her father’s gray ones with 
a defiant flash. 

“ She can give more. Dear me ! I should never have 
left you two children alone, you need taking care of 
badly — it’s time I came home. What’s up, Daddy, money 
tight? ” 

“ Very — a perfect squeeze. ” 

“ And you let me spend such a lot.” 

“A mere drop in the bucket, child. There are big 
sums involved. ” He put his key in the lock. “ Now 
don’t let your mother see that you know anything. Poor 
dear ! she’s been worrying over it all day. ” Then the 

9 


HELEN ORMESBY 


oaken door, swinging wide, let Helen into her beautiful 
home. 

It was such a home as only great wealth could pro- 
vide. There was an immense foyer with soft, priceless 
rugs scattered over the inlaid floors, and a majestic, 
sweeping staircase leading to the next story. There were 
soft lights from stained-glass windows, and one or two 
open doors revealed the luxury of living. From one of 
these a lady came hurrying out, a beautiful lady, from 
whom Helen had borrowed her bronze hair. 

“ My dearest little Mummie ! ” cried the tall girl, 
swooping down upon her. “ Aren’t you glad to get your 
baby home, and isn’t she glad to get here? Oh, how 
good everything looks, I can’t think how I was ever will- 
ing to go away at all. I’m never going to budge again. 
Am I very late, have you put back dinner on my account ? 
Never mind, if my trunk is here, I won’t keep you wait- 
ing. I sent it by express a day ahead, you know. ” 

“ Phyllis is unpacking it in your room, I believe. ” 

“ Then we’ll go up together, ” said Helen, passing 
an arm around her mother’s slim waist, and beaming 
down upon her from her superior height. 

The dying sun had filled the large room with a touch 
of rose; the filmy curtains swayed gently in the summer 
breeze, and there was the breath of flowers everywhere. 

“ Always flowers ! That’s like you, Mother, you never 
forget them. And how lovely my room looks. ” Indeed, 
it was beautiful, with its creamy furniture and its rose- 
colored hangings, just the sort of room a dainty girl 
might fancy. 

Helen’s maid looked up with eager delight; she had 
missed her young mistress, for Mrs. Ormesby had in- 
sisted on simplicity in the College life, and now she was 


io 


HELEN ORMESBY 


handling Helen’s clothes with as much tenderness as 
if they were flesh and blood. 

It was very easy to lean back in the lap of luxury. 
With a contented sigh Helen handed herself over to 
Phyllis, and nestled in her favorite big chair while the 
deft maid took off her heavy boots and substituted dainty 
slippers, let down the rich hair and shook it out of its 
glossy tangle, and finally brought from the trunk a pink 
gown. 

In this, at length, Miss Helen stood arrayed, and the 
long mirror gave back a pleasing reflection of a tall, slim 
young figure, with a wealth of tawny hair, coiled low 
on her neck, beautiful brown eyes, and a radiant color. 
Helen’s features, though not altogether regular, were full 
of intelligence and animation, which stamped her at once 
as an extremely pretty girl. Her mother beamed ap- 
proval, she had done little else but beam, for Helen’s 
tongue had flown as fast as Phyllis’s fingers. The girl 
had resolutely banished from her mind that ominous 
sign “ For Rent,” and lived only in the luxurious and 
delightful present. After dinner would come the deluge, 
of course, until then — So she floated downstairs to the 
gorgeous dining-room, and her now sharpened eyes de- 
tected nothing amiss. Everything moved with precision 
in this well-ordered household, and Mrs. Ormesby at 
the head, was the quiet power behind it all. Helen had 
been so accustomed to this elegance, that until to-night, 
when she knew grim care was sharing the feast, she 
had taken things very much for granted. 

They went into the library where coffee was served, 
a room that breathed of books and art. There was not a 
picture on the wall that did not have a history; nor a 
quaint chair, nor a bit of tapestry. Over the high carved 
2 II 


HELEN ORMESBY 


mantelpiece hung a Van Dyck portrait of Sir Hugh 
Ormesby, their Cavalier ancestor, while on the opposite 
side of the wall hung a companion portrait of his Puri- 
tan wife, Dame Prudence. 

Helen sipped her coffee thoughtfully, then she set 
down her cup and perched herself on the arm of her 
father’s chair. 

“ Now, Daddy, I insist upon knowing why we are 
‘ For Rent. ’ ” 

“ Will ! ” exclaimed Mrs. Ormesby, “ I told you not 
to tell her. ” 

“ I didn’t, my dear. I simply forgot to have the sign 
removed, and Helen, not being blind — ” 

“ Which doesn’t explain matters to me, ” interrupted 
Helen. “ What has happened — or is going to happen ? ” 
“ Here it is in a nutshell, ” said her father in his 
direct way. “ Pm at the head of a big deal involving 
millions, but just at present — unless substantial loans 
boost us up — we are in danger of foundering. If we can 
be propped for a year, we can stand alone; if not, we 
smash everybody and everything that comes in our way ; 
we stand, so to speak, between Scylla and Charybdis, and 
unless something happens quickly we shall be crushed 
in either case. ” 

“ I see, ” said Helen gravely, “ and Mother has of- 
fered you some of her own private fortune. ” 

“ Sage child ! She’s offered it all, that’s the trouble ; 
if I take it, I may save the day, but we should have to 
draw in for a year at least, and so — ” 

“ We’re ‘ For Rent,’ ” concluded Helen. “ But why 
can’t we cut off expenses and stay where we are ? ” 

“ My dear girl ! ” exclaimed her mother, “ have you 
any idea how much money it takes to keep up this house ? 
It needs a dozen servants to begin with. ” 


12 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ But you could do with half a dozen, you’re such a 
manager. ” 

“ Dearest, it wouldn’t work ; curtailed expenses would 
demoralize the maids — in a smaller house, with less to 
do, perhaps — ” 

“ I love my beautiful home, I don’t want to give it 
up, ” insisted Helen. “ I don’t know what Hugh would 
say if he knew about it. ” 

A smile went around the small circle. Impetuous 
Hugh would have had plenty to say. Helen herself had 
a sudden spirit of fight born within her; she left the 
arm of her father’s chair and settled herself on a favor- 
ite low stool, her elbows on her knees, her pretty chin 
buried in her hands, deep in thought. She was silent 
so long that her mother said, at last : 

“ Asleep, dear ? ” 

“ No, I’ve been so accustomed to considering ways 
and means, that I just forgot myself. I’ve been Presi- 
dent of the ‘ We are Seven Club, ’ and have been on so 
many finance committees at College, that the business 
part of me has developed enormously; the girls all tell 
me I’m a born financier.” 

Mr. Ormesby laughed, and Helen looked decidedly 
nettled, a little pucker came on her forehead and her 
eyes grew bright. 

“ Of course, I don’t deal in millions, ” she said, “ but 
the hundreds were troublesome enough, and the dollars 
and cents were simply appalling to any but a level head. 
Father, you’ve got to keep sober and listen' to my words 
of wisdom ;” she jumped up as she spoke, and shook him, 
more in sorrow than in anger. “ Is this consultation to 
be fair play, ” she asked, “ or have you settled every- 
thing, leaving me only the privilege of doing as I’m 
bid?” 


13 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Mr. Ormesby rose with a bow and a flourish. “ Any 
suggestion from Miss Ormesby will receive immediate 
consideration. ” 

“ Very well, then ; of course I won’t come out next 
winter. Don’t look so distressed, Mother, I am still 
young, and there’s always some finishing off to do. Do 
you know, not one of our devoted ‘ Seven ’ wanted to 
leave College — unless perhaps Sylvia Browne, and she 
could have been persuaded to stay on.” 

“ You’re not thinking of a post-graduate course,” 
cried Mrs. Ormesby aghast. 

Helen rapped upon a nearby table. “ Patience, my 
dear Madam, and hearken to words of wisdom; I was 
thinking of a post-graduate course, but not at College. ” 

“ Where, then?” 

“ Here, in this very house, where we are going to live 
next year — and study. ” 

“We! Who?” 

“ Why, the ‘ We are Seven Club ’ — now don’t throw 
in an objection until you hear my case. Here you have 
a set of unfledged housekeepers, turned loose on the 
world, not one of us has a single practical idea on the 
subject. We’ve all been so accustomed to having things 
done for us that we’ve never paused to consider how 
they were done. Now why shouldn’t we all live here for 
a year and study the science of the thing? Dismiss your 
six maids and take in the Club; we’ll try and give satis- 
faction. The girls would be willing to pay handsomely 
for such a liberal , education.” 

“ Helen, are you crazy ? ” 

“ No, ma’am, far from it. What they pay would be 
what would be needed to run the house in its accustomed 
style, and few among them live as well as we do, thanks 
to your fine housekeeping, Mummie dear. You see my 
14 


HELEN ORMESBY 


idea is this, dismiss the underlings, we ‘ raw hands ’ will 
take their places. Keep the heads of departments, your 
cook, your seamstress, your upper housemaid, Phyllis, 
of course, and John and Jerry. Tell them if you like, 
that we wish to try an experiment next year, that we 
are going into training under them, to become good mis- 
tresses. It will tickle their sense of humor, Fm sure. 
Oh, what fun it will be — can’t you see it, Mother? You 
shall be the Advisory Board. We will take over the 
whole care of the house, and turn and turn about, with 
the practical work ; there isn’t one among us who 
wouldn’t enjoy it, and to see this stately home move on 
wheels of our greasing will be just wonderful. Oh, let 
us try! Take down that horrid sign in the area and let 
us see if we can’t work out our own salvation. ” 

“ My dear girl ! ” said Mr. Ormesby, “y° ur theories 
are all right, but you are only voicing one opinion — where 
your own immediate interest is concerned. The other 
girls may think differently. ” 

“ I’ve brought them through harder problems than 
this; girl problems are mighty tough, I tell you. They 
are all coming to luncheon to-morrow, suppose we sleep 
over it to-night, and you give me your answer in the 
morning. Only tell John to remove that sign at once, 
I really couldn’t sleep in a house which was 4 For 
Rent. ’ ” 

Helen was so much in earnest and there was such 
sound common sense in what she said that Mr. and Mrs. 
Ormesby forgot to laugh; the magnetism of the girl 
suddenly swept them along. Wild as the plan had 
seemed at first, there was yet a great deal in it which 
appealed to them both. Helen was certainly right; in 
practical, every-day duties, the College graduate was as 
helpless as a baby. There was much to consider, but 

15 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the house was quite large enough at least to give the 
thing a trial, and since launching Helen in society would 
be impracticable, why not humor her little whim and let 
her have her chosen cronies for another happy year ! 

Then company broke in upon them, and Helen flitted 
among them in her pretty gown, charming them all with 
her radiant young presence. 

It was quite late when she sought her bed, but before 
closing her window for the night, she thought she would 
see if her eloquence had had any effect whatever. She 
stepped into the tiny French balcony and looked down 
into the area for the aggressive sign which she had 
declared would haunt her dreams. It had disappeared ! 


CHAPTER II 


A GOLDEN streak of impertinent sunlight, falling 
aslant of Helen’s closed eyelids, woke her with 
a start; she opened her eyes in sleepy wonder, 
then she rubbed them, child-fashion, and got her bearings. 
Yes, of course, she was at home, and she looked with 
lazy pleasure around her room. It was prettier, she 
thought, in the bright glow of the morning than in the 
summer sunset of the day before; the curtains at the 
windows were rustling as the morning breezes came 
dancing in, bringing little scent-laden gusts of air from 
the outside. 

“ ‘ Oh, what so rare as a day in June ! ’ ” cried Helen 
as she sprang out of bed. “ This must be the kind of 
day Lowell wrote about, I guess; it goes to one’s head 
like wine. Come in, Phyllis. ” 

And so the day began when Helen, as fresh and 
glowing as the rose she had fastened in her belt, went 
downstairs to breakfast. She found her mother alone, 
bending a rather thoughtful face over the pleasant duty 
of making coffee. 

“ Where’s Daddy ? ” she asked, when the two bronze 
heads had come together for their morning kiss. 

“A bit behind, as usual, dear, or perhaps I hurried 
more than usual. I thought we could talk over things 
before he gets down; he is somewhat skeptical over it 
all, Helen ; says you are a castle-builder and will have 
walls tumbling about your ears, and all sorts of direful 
things will happen. ” 


1 7 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Helen’s rippling laugh rang out ; Mrs. Ormesby smiled 
sympathetically. 

“ Nothing unpleasant could happen, Mummie, with 
seven lusty young women all pulling the same way.” 

“ But are you sure they will all pull the same way ? 
Remember, dear, even in this short time they’ve all had 
their eyes turned in another direction. ” 

“ They are ‘ The Seven,’ ” said Helen decidedly. “ I 
don’t think you quite understand the significance of that, 
Mother. I’ve been their mouthpiece and their headpiece 
for four long years ; it will take more than a few days to 
obliterate my influence; besides, we are perfectly de- 
voted, and when I explain the situation they’ll be eager 
to help and be helped. It’s the mothers we’ll have more 
trouble with. You are reasonable, dear; but Mrs. 
Browne and Mrs. Barton, I’m afraid of their kind; they 
have to be handled very carefully. There’s your job 
cut out for you; those ladies have social aspirations. If 
their bait is stronger than ours, those silly girls will bite, 
and it would be too bad to lose Sylvia and the twins; 
they are jolly little souls, the very sort to make practical 
housekeepers, and give vim and spirit to the whole thing ; 
all the others who have high ambitions will be harder 
to train, for they will have to be hauled down from the 
heights and pinned to earth — / know them; so we can’t 
spare the butterflies, whatever we do. Mother, I’m a 
great psychologist ; watch me handle the Club at luncheon 
to-day. ” 

“ You certainly have the greatest faith in your own 
powers, ” laughed Mrs. Ormesby. “ Do all College grad- 
uates begin life with such assurance ? ” 

“ You think I’m conceited, I know you do, ” Helen’s 
tone was somewhat rueful, “ but, honestly, I’m not ; I’m 
only talking of my strong points just now. Oh, Pm as 
18 


HELEN ORMESBY 


full of faults as — as Swiss cheese is, of holes, and I’ll 
be the greatest idiot at all this practical work; but when 
it comes to managing my Club — ” Helen finished with 
an expressive wave of her hands. 

“ You can’t deny that you are a very revolutionary 
young person, ” said Mr. Ormesby from the doorway, 
where he had paused to listen. 

“ Now, Daddy, come here and be scolded, ” cried 
Helen, wheeling round upon him. “ How dare you say 
I’m a castle-builder! Our castle is already built; I want 
to live in it, that’s all, and as for my being revolutionary, 
our noble ancestor, even the good Sir Hugh himself, 
loved and wedded a revolutionary damsel ; it runs in the 
family. ” 

“ Poor unoffending Dame Prudence ! I dare say she 
was a simple, timid little soul, quite overshadowed by her 
big martial husband, ” said Mrs. Ormesby. 

“ All the same, I love the pretty tradition which seems 
to have bound them together. It’s a very romantic set- 
ting for our family. May I show the girls our garnet. 
Mother, and tell them the story ? ” Then a sudden 
thought brought its accompanying smile ; “ I can point 
my moral while I’m adorning my tale. Don’t you see? ” 

“ Perfectly, perfectly, you’ve a head for things, 
Helen. Miss Ormesby, I salute you, ” and taking the 
bright face in both hands, her father gave her his morn- 
ing greeting. 

But there was something bantering in his tone that 
the girl vaguely resented. She pushed away a little and 
faced him with a new, sweet gravity which he could not 
quite understand. 

“ Father, I know we shall make mistakes, I am quite 
sure I shall, and there’ll be many a laugh at our blunders ; 
but now I’m in real earnest, I want to fit myself for 
19 


HELEN ORMESBY 


something more than — than — living in this beautiful 
place and having everything done for me. I want to 
feel that if — changes came, I could do something for 
myself. I’m sure there isn’t a girl among us who 
wouldn’t think as seriously about it as I do. But don’t 
laugh at us at first, please — promise. ” 

“ Solemnly, upon my word, I’ve indulged in my last 
laugh,” declared Mr. Ormesby, impressed by her earnest- 
ness. “ I’ll be frank with you, however, so we’ll start 
fairly. In many ways I think the experiment will be 
good for you, you’ll gain wisdom if you don’t earn your 
laurels. But whether you will have business head enough 
to carry the project through, I very much doubt. Re- 
member, I leave the financial side in your hands. My 
own plan was to live on half our present income, which 
I will supply. It is up to you, my dear, to contribute the 
other half, so there will be no material change in our 
way of living. That seems to be the scheme as I under- 
stand it. ” 

“ Yes, exactly. ” 

“ Then go ahead, with my blessing. When do you 
propose to start ? ” 

Helen’s face cleared; she liked her father’s crisp, 
emphatic way of talking; that meant business. 

“ Just as soon as I can load my ship ; it takes time 
and prudence. Mother and I will have our hands full 
just at first, arranging and planning. Oh, it will be such 
fun ! ” 

He ran his hands through his hair in comic dismay. 

“ I protest ! I cannot have your mother drawn into 
this vortex. The first gray hair that shows itself will be 
laid at your door, young woman. Give me my coffee, 
Marian, this is too much ! ” 

“ Calm yourself, gentle sir, the duties of the Lady of 


20 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Ormesby will remain unchanged; ’twill be the effort of 
our noble ‘ Seven ’ that our lady’s white hands shall per- 
form no menial service. ” 

“ ’ Tis well, fair damsel, see to it that this be so. 
Now to breakfast and get down to facts. What is the 
first move ? ” 

“ The girls are coming to luncheon ; after that — the 
deluge. I look no farther,” said Helen, with a laugh; 
then she gave her father a warning look, for the maids 
were bringing in breakfast and the subject was not yet 
ripe for household discussion. 

Mr. Ormesby left home with a lighter heart than he 
had known for many weeks ; it was good to have Helen 
back, to feel the youthful, buoyant presence in the house, 
to know that it would be there after a long, harassing 
day of business, and that his wife would feel the sun- 
shine of it when he could not. For the past four years 
the great house had been very desolate and lonely, with 
Hugh at sea, and Helen at College; but now, even if 
times were to be a little anxious, there would be no mo- 
notony in their daily life, there was nothing monotonous 
about Helen. 

Indeed, the whole household seemed to feel this, for 
the air hummed with preparations for the luncheon, and 
when Helen descended to the regions below in her 
mother’s wake, the kitchen actually palpitated with ex- 
citement. 

“ Sure an’ it’s glad I am to see ye, Miss Helen, ” 
and Ann, the cook, with the freedom of long service, 
offered a flour-dusty hand. Helen took it and sniffed 
delightedly. 

“ Gingerbread, as I’m living ! Let me look, Ann, I 
love to see it rising and puffing on the top.” 

“ Lave that oven be !” growled Ann, her professional 


21 


HELEN ORMESBY 


instinct aroused at sight of Helen stooping to open it. 
“ Ye’ll have that gingerbread sittin’ down like a pancake. 
Beggin’ yer pardon, Miss, but it ain’t likely you’ve learned 
to cook where you come from. You stand to one side an’ 
I’ll show yer, ” and as Helen obediently arose, Ann placed 
her portly form in front to keep out draughts, and 
opened the door with elaborate care while Helen peeped 
over her shoulder. 

“ And cookies, too, I declare ! ” she exclaimed. 
“Ann, I believe you knew I was coming.” 

“ An’ well ye might think so, an’ me bakin’ an’ brewin’ 
from Monday till Friday; them cakes is the tail-end, 
see ? ” and Ann swung wide the pantry door, exhibiting 
such a tempting array of good things that Helen ex- 
claimed in wonder : 

“ Why, Ann, I do believe you’ve killed the fatted 
calf for me. ” 

“ Niver a bit of vale, Miss, from June till October, 
but ye won’t go hungry, I may say that. ” 

“You’re a wonderful cook! ” cried the girl, choking 
a laugh. It would never do to offend Ann at this stage 
of the game. “ I shall go into training and you shall 
teach me.” 

“ Oh, go ’long wid ye ! ” said Ann good-humoredly, 
she had bullied Helen from the pinafore days up. 
“ You’ll be trainin’ for the two-step while I’m stirrin’ 
the pot. ” 

“ Wait and see,” said Helen, smiling and shaking her 
head, then she roamed around the spacious, well- 
appointed kitchen, listening with much interest white her 
mother gave the day’s orders. 

How easily and gracefully she did it, and how thor- 
ough trained the servants were ! Could the “ Seven ” 
ever fit in, and would Ann be willing at the crucial mo- 


22 


HELEN ORMESBY 


ment ? Helen glanced at her own pretty, well-kept hands, 
and at Martha’s red ones. Martha was the little scullion 
and dish-washer, one of the despised “ underlings ” 
whose place was to be filled by the usurpers. She looked 
beyond at the spotless table where Bridget sat peeling 
potatoes. Bridget was the laundress, and peeling po- 
tatoes was not her vocation ; but she had dropped in on a 
visit to the kitchen, and Ann kept her visitors busy. 
Could any one of the “ Seven ” peel potatoes ? She 
looked out of the window; John, no longer the spruce 
young footman, was digging in the little garden where 
parsley and onions and many kitchen herbs were allowed 
to grow. In his overalls, with his tumbled hair and earth- 
covered hands, he appeared like a genuine tiller of the« 
soil, though he looked up and touched his forelock in 
the old fashion, when he saw Helen. 

This tour of inspection was at her own request, and 
she followed her mother upstairs to the dining-room; 
here Mary, the waitress, was setting the table for lun- 
cheon. In one corner of the room was a great gardener’s 
basket filled to the brim with a rainbow pile of sweet 
peas. 

“ Oh, how delicious ! ” cried the girl, on her knees in 
a moment, her nose buried in the fragrant mass. “ Did 
they come from the Farm, Mother?” 

“ Yes, Jerry brought them the first thing this morn- 
ing when he drove in the wagon with supplies ; you know 
we get all our milk and butter and eggs and chickens, 
and most of our garden produce from the Farm. ” 

“ Oh, how interesting ! Then even this big household 
is worked on economic principles. ” 

“ Well, I don’t know about the economics, dear ; we 
produce so much more than we can consume ; but we are 
good to our neighbors and to the poor, so that equalizes 

23 


HELEN ORMESBY 


matters,” said Mrs. Ormesby tranquilly; but there was 
a sparkle in Helen’s eyes — she would tackle that problem 
presently. Now she was intent on watching Mary’s deft 
movements. She was a pretty girl, and she went about 
her work in a graceful, capable way, while the table, with 
its fine damask and silver, fairly glowed at her touch. 

“ Is it to be a sweet-pea luncheon ? ” asked Helen. 

“ Yes, miss, and there seems to be no end of them 
to-day. ” 

“ Which means that Mary will make a lovely table, ” 
said Mrs. Ormesby. 

“Oh, if you’re going to decorate, may I help? I 
love to fuss with flowers. ” 

A blank expression chased away the pleased look on 
Mary’s face. Mrs. Ormesby caught it and laughed. 

“ Don’t worry, Mary, I sha’n’t allow Miss Helen to 
interfere ; some day perhaps you shall teach her some of 
your pretty secrets; now, however, she would be glad 
to sit and watch you. ” 

“ Mary is an artist,” she explained, turning to her 
daughter, “ and with that huge basket of sweet-peas she’ll 
make fairyland.” 

And fairyland it certainly proved to be. She designed 
an exquisite table-center of the dainty blossoms; she 
traced an arabesque upon the cloth; she fashioned true- 
lovers’ knots upon the corners ; she laid graceful bunches, 
backed with delicate ferns and tied with leaf-green rib- 
bon, at each plate ; she gathered up an armful of every 
color and threw them loosely into a great glass bowl of 
water; and all this with a motion so quick and delicate 
that she scarcely seemed to touch the flowers she handled. 
Helen drew a deep breath of awe and admiration; she 
was finding out that there were many things the “ Seven ” 
24 


HELEN ORMESBY 


could not do, and she also marveled at the capable way 
in which her mother managed every department of her 
household, as she followed her from floor to floor, from 
room to room, in her morning’s progress. 

“ How will we ever suit ! ” she groaned, when the 
two found themselves together in her mother’s pretty 
boudoir. “ Indeed, Mummie dear, you’ll have to be blind 
and deaf just at first, until we come up to your standard.” 

“ I have trained even greenhorns,” said Mrs. Ormes- 
by hopefully. “ You only got a ‘ bird’s eye’ view this 
morning, Helen. Are you daunted ? ” 

“Not at all,” said Helen stoutly. “The bigger the 
problem, the greater the victory. Wait and see ! ” 

But it was a thoughtful Helen who ran downstairs to 
welcome her friends. The six came trooping up the 
steps of the big gray mansion, laughing and chatting all 
at once. 

“We all piled into one taxicab, ” explained Elsie 
Barton, “ the man objected, said it was too heavy a 
load, the usual talk you know, but Edith put an end to 
that. 4 My good man, ’ she said (you should have seen 
the air with which she said it) 4 you are not driving a 
horse, and an electric motor does not care if we are three 
or six, of course you can double the fare on us — but 
that will be cheating. Get in, girls ’ — and here we are ! ” 
“ Bad for clothes, of course, ” said Sylvia, “ but it’s 
a slim fashion with no starch, and we all took off our 
hats till the crucial moment when we arrived. ” 

“Yes, that was the funniest thing, cabby supposed 
that we’d all tumble out together, but no, we descended 
with dignity, one at a time, each girl carefully adjusting 
her hat beforehand, and it took ten minutes to disgorge 
us; the man’s face was a study. I wish you could have 
25 


HELEN ORMESBY 


seen it, Helen. What would he have said, I wonder, if 
there had been the usual ‘ Seven ’ ? ” and Ruth raised her 
hands to take out her hat-pins. 

“ Come upstairs, girls, Phyllis will help you, ” and 
Helen led the way with pardonable pride, for the beauty 
of the place impressed them as it could not fail to do — as 
it always did. 

“ How you could bear to stay away four years from 
such a heaven of delight, I can’t understand, ” said Alice 
Barton. “ There is nothing old-fashioned or odd about 
it, and yet it’s so — so ancestral. ” 

“ We are ancestral ; we’re a very old family, early 
English, I mean. We came in before Cromwell’s time. ” 
“ How lovely ! ” said Ruth. “ Then, of course, you 
have the family tree and the family jewels. ” 

“ Yes, I’m going to show you the famous garnet after 
luncheon. It’s almost legendary. ” 

“To live in a place like this from one year’s end to 
the other, is my idea of bliss, ” said Sylvia, “ and yet 
you’re not ‘ a proud and haughty onion. ’ ” 

“ Why should I be ? There are so many things out- 
side of a handsome house that money cannot buy, and 
often there’s the splendor of real age. Josephine, for 
instance, has a home worth looking at. Why, girls, in 
her music- room, there are instruments dating from the 
flood, I do believe. ” 

“ That is Arnold’s hobby, you know, Helen, and the 
wonder of it is that he can play them all. That boy is 
going to do something great yet. ” 

The girls were standing in the circular hall looking 
down into the beautiful rotunda. 

“ What a place for a dance ! ” cried the twins in 
chorus. “ What a glorious debut we could make,” said 
Elsie. “ Mamma, with one of us on either side, standing 
26 


HELEN ORMESBY 


just in the shadowy curve of the grand staircase to re- 
ceive the guests, and the band hidden away on the other 
side. Our place is big and handsome enough, but it’s 
too much like the regulation thing, four walls and a 
crystal chandelier. ” 

“ Don’t talk about coming out, you silly dears, ” said 
Edith Carlyle. “ I’m trying to coax Papa out of the 
notion. Aunt Meg wants to come down to Glenhurst 
right now, and take me in tow, and cart me to all the 
fashionable watering-places, and superintend all the 
deadly dull ceremonies next year. I tell you, honestly, 
I’d rather be shot. Oh, Helen, what a dream of a 
roorh ! ” for by this time they were in front of her door, 
thrown invitingly open, with Phyllis waiting to relieve 
them of their hats and gloves and to smooth rebellious 
locks. 

“ I just hate to think that our 4 Seven ’ must dis- 
band, ” said Josephine regretfully. 

“ I wish you could all spend the winter with me, ” 
said Helen, artfully putting in her first wedge. 

At this, a smile went around; the idea seemed so 
delightfully improbable. 

“ It would be jolly, we’d leave our happy homes for 
this. Don’t mind her, girls, the atmosphere of this place 
has touched her here, ” arid Ruth touched her own fore- 
head significantly. 

Then they trooped down like a flock of butterflies, 
eager and hungry for their luncheon. 

Mrs. Ormesby was well-known, and a great favorite 
with this small and select circle; she seemed like a girl 
herself, in her pretty white gown, and her gay and cordial 
sympathy with the fun that soon began to sparkle round 
the table. From time to time she glanced at Helen, but 
that young woman seemed oblivious of the fact that 
3 27 


HELEN ORMESBY 


there was anything more serious at stake than appeasing 
the appetites of six hearty, wholesome girls. Peal after 
peal of laughter rang through the beautiful room. It 
seemed that the Club had never been so brilliant as at this 
hour of its supposed dissolution, but it was not until the 
last course had been served and the servants had with- 
drawn, that Helen rose with a certain impressive gesture 
that brought the others to their feet. She lifted her glass 
of water and they followed her example. 

“ Girls, this is the last public function of the ‘ We are 
Seven Club/ Let us drink to it.” 

The girlish pose, with the lifted glasses, was very 
striking and picturesque. Mrs. Ormesby leaned back 
enjoying the pretty tableau. A shade of gravity had 
settled down upon them. Ruth set down her glass, un- 
tasted, with a little emphatic gesture that splashed water 
on the tablecloth. 

“ I can’t do it, ” she said in a choked voice. “ We’ve 
had such fun — it’s been such a success — the ‘ Seven ’ — 
I — I just hate things to end. ” 

“ For a future novelist, that’s a bad trait, ” observed 
Sylvia, though she, too, set down her glass, untasted. 
“ Don’t prejudice us against your books before they are 
written. I’ve heard of novels without heroes and 
heroines, but they all end somehow — thank goodness ! ” 

“ We might keep up the Club by correspondence, like 
the Chautauquans do,” suggested Josephine, “ and we 
could meet once or twice a year and have jolly little din- 
ners and luncheons. ” 

“ Heaven forbid ! ” cried the Club in such vehement 
chorus that Josephine retired abashed. 

“ Better think over my proposition and spend next 
year with me, ” said Helen quietly. 

Edith Carlyle turned her beautiful blue eyes plain- 
28 


HELEN ORMESBY 


tively on Mrs. Ormesby. “ How long has Helen been 
delirious?” she asked, “I caught some such feverish 
muttering before luncheon. Do you take her tempera- 
ture every hour? An ice-bag on the top of the head 
is excellent. ” 

“ Thank you, Doctor, but I don’t need heroic treat- 
ment, Mother understands the case perfectly. Now 
listen, girls, I’m in deadly earnest, ” and then in a clear, 
concise manner, that really amazed her mother, she ex- 
plained the situation. 

They all listened attentively, and when Helen finished 
with “ So you see, it will be a sort of a Mutual Benefit 
Association,” the air was unmistakably full of suppressed 
excitement. 

“ It’s the best scheme I ever heard of ! ” cried Sylvia, 
who usually voiced the enthusiasm of the Club. “ Sounds 
like the Chief — she has such original ideas. But my! 
we’re an ignorant lot. You’d have your hands full, Mrs. 
Ormesby; you’d have to set aside a special room for 
whipping us into shape. ” 

“No, I would have nothing to do with it, except to 
give my orders, at least that is Helen’s idea. But, of 
course, at present there is only a hazy, un formulated 
plan. There is much to consider, your parents, for 
instance. ” 

“ Wait a minute, Mummie dear, we’ve got to vote 
on this thing first; that’s the rule of the Club. All in 
favor, say ‘ Aye ! ’ ” 

It rang out unanimously. 

“ ‘ Oh, my prophetic soul, my Mother ! ’ ” exclaimed 
Sylvia. 

“ And ours ! ” cried the twins. “ Why, she’s been 
shopping all this morning getting the prettiest things for 
our coming-out gowns. ” 


29 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“You’ll have plenty of chances to wear them, for it 
is not going to be all work and no play. Think of that 
rotunda to dance in,” added Helen slyly. “ My brother 
Hugh will be due in these parts next winter, too, and 
there’ll be dances on the ship, and plenty of Ensigns and 
young Lieutenants to take care of. ” 

“ You certainly paint a glowing picture, ” said Elsie, 
“ if Mother could only see it ! ” 

“ So far as I am concerned, I have only poor Aunt 
Meg’s tears of disappointment to battle with. Father 
was rather in sympathy with me about coming out. He 
was only afraid it would be lonely for me at Glenhurst, 
and he’ll be delighted to have me so near at hand, and 
so happy, as I should be here with Helen. You know — ” 
and Edith’s flowerlike face put on what the girls called 
her “ rapt ” expression — “ I am more interested in the 
serious things of life, the great army of the poor of New 
York, and the hospitals, and the little crippled children. ” 
“ Yes, you could take them one at a time on your 
afternoons out, ” said practical Helen. “ You know if 
the ‘ Seven ’ are to make the scheme a success, there will 
have to be strict attention to business, especially at first 
when we are all green. ” 

“ Is it to be a regular course? ” asked Josephine. 

“ Why yes, from a, b, c, up, and the first lesson we’ll 
have to learn is, to know just what we don’t know, I 
suppose, ” and Ruth sighed. “ I seem to be learning that 
every day of my life. ” 

“ There’s one great comfort, ” said Helen. “ We’ll 
all be in the same boat, and if the mistakes don’t capsize 
us, we will pull into smooth water.” 

“ Oh, it’s all very well for the Club to talk and plan ! ” 
exclaimed Sylvia. “ We are not the real masters of the 
situation. A year in this heavenly place would be an 
30 


HELEN ORMESBY 


education in itself. And such fun ! But the parent ques- 
tion is very serious ; we have left them for four years to 
shift for themselves. They need looking after badly. ” 

“ That seems to be my mission ; being a parent myself, 
I may be able to manage them, ” said Mrs. Ormesby. “ I 
feel rather selfish in the matter, as I’m not only retaining 
my girl, but trying to steal theirs. Perhaps we can dis- 
cuss it all satisfactorily, at tea to-morrow afternoon. 
You girls stay away, be discreet in speaking of Helen’s 
startling idea, and let us see what will develop from a 
little rational conversation. ” 

“ Bravo, my dearest Mummie ! Girls, I am quite sure 
her eloquence would convince a cow, so why not those 
very superior animals called parents? Here’s to them! 
since we flatly refuse to bid farewell to the ‘ We are 
Seven Club, ’ ” and rising to her feet, Helen tossed off 
her glass of water, while the others followed her 
example. “ And now I shall show you the garnet, with- 
out which the house of Ormesby would fall to pieces.” 

She led the way into the library and Mrs. Ormesby 
unlocked the door of the little cabinet where the precious 
heirloom was bestowed. The girls looked with awe upon 
the faded blue velvet case she drew forth. She touched 
a spring and the cover flew back, disclosing a brooch of 
dull gold and of curious workmanship, in the center of 
which glowed a magnificent garnet. This emblem of 
fidelity and constancy made the jewel of greater value 
to those who possessed it than even a rarer gem. 

“ I don’t know how many centuries before Cromwell’s 
time it came into the family, ” said Helen, “ but when 
the old Covenanters turned out the Cavaliers, Sir William 
Ormesby, a grim old Roundhead, rode out to Ormesby 
Castle and took possession of his dead brother’s lands, 
though Hugh, the baby heir, was a lusty, sturdy little 
3i 


HELEN ORMESBY 


< 

fellow. Now the legend runs that this garnet, at the 
first shadow of treachery or evil-doing, would disappear 
from its setting in some odd way, and would never be 
restored until the wrong was righted. Young Sir Hugh 
and his mother and sister, managed, with the help of a 
faithful servant, to escape to London, and with them — 
quite unknown to any one but the nurse — went the 
Ormesby garnet. She had taken it from its setting, in 
the treasure-room where it was kept, and sewing it in 
a little silken bag, she had hung it as a charm around 
Master Hugh’s neck. The old Puritan stormed when 
he found it had vanished, but the superstitious country- 
folk, who knew the legend, shook their heads and pre- 
dicted disaster for the House of Ormesby. And sure 
enough a shadow fell upon the old place, for William 
Ormesby also believed the legend. True, the Ormesby 
lands and titles were his by conquest, but the Ormesby 
jewel was not with him, and his stern conscience could 
not banish the old tradition. 

“ Then, with the Restoration little Hugh came riding 
back to claim his own. He found his uncle and aunt 
dead, and only a slip of a Puritan girl, the mistress of 
Ormesby. It was then that Nurse Margaret, an old 
woman by this time, asked Hugh to give up the charm 
he had worn about his neck, and at dead of night, she 
unlocked the treasure-chamber and restored the jewel. 
So the next morning when the rightful heir went to 
search for it, sure enough there it was, in the center of 
this quaint old brooch. Fidelity and Constancy have 
since then been the family motto.” 

“ And I suppose Hugh married the little Puritan, ” 
wound up Sylvia. 

“ Of course, there are their portraits behind you.” 

32 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ How did the secret ever leak out, I wonder? ” said 
Ruth. 

“ Somebody less credulous than the country people 
got hold of it, I suppose ; but it makes a pretty tradition, ” 
said Josephine. “ I like Sir Hugh’s face, I know he 
made a good soldier. ” 

“ All the Hughs serve their country ; that’s why our 
Hugh chose the sea. At any rate, we Ormesbys are 
faithful and constant, and if we ‘ Seven ’ take hold of 
this idea, I’ve made up my mind to lead you to glory. 
Will you follow ? ” 

“We will, we will ! ” they cried with enthusiasm, and 
Helen shot her mother a triumphant little glance. 

Jerry took them all home in the great carriage they 
used for theater parties, and Helen and her mother stood 
on the broad stoop waving their handkerchiefs till Jerry 
turned the corner. 

“ Well, Mummie, what do you think of the capabil- 
ities of the Club ? ” 

“ Wait ’till the enthusiasm dies down, ” said Mrs. 
Ormesby cautiously. 

“ It never will ! ” declared Helen. “ That shall be my 
special mission. Wait and see ! ” 


CHAPTER III 


T HERE was a problem yet to face before clearing 
the forest of difficulties; the six head servants 
were to be told of the coming change. 

“ Because,” said the wise and far-seeing Helen to 
her mother, “ the parents will be sure to make a great 
clatter over it to-morrow, and they will be sure to hear, 
so why not let them know beforehand? ” 

“ V ery well, ask each one of them, separately and 
privately, to come to the library after dinner. It seems 
a pity to deprive your father of all the fun.” 

“ Let me see, ” said Helen, “we want Ann and Brid- 
get, and Mary and Phyllis, and John and Jerry; and 
oh, I forgot, Miss Pierce; never mind, she’s a separate 
problem to be tackled later. ” 

Promptly, therefore, at half past eight, Ann’s vigor- 
ous knock sounded at the library door. Ann was a 
portly, handsome woman, with bands of dark hair 
smoothly brushed, sleeves pulled down, and a fancy white 
apron replacing the checked gingham of the kitchen. 
She showed as much surprise when the three maids, fol- 
lowed by Jerry and John, appeared, as they did at seeing 
her. 

There was something very impressive about the fine 
old room, with its shaded lights, and they all seemed so 
ill at ease, that for a moment Helen was at a loss. This 
interview had been left entirely in her hands, her father 
and mother being only amused and silent spectators. 


? t 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Suddenly an inspiration seized her; she pulled out a few 
stools from their shadowy corners, and waved invitingly. 

“ Won’t some of you sit down? I am going to my- 
self, for I want to tell you something. ” 

Ann and Jerry being the oldest of the group, were 
persuaded to this breach of domestic etiquette, sitting 
awkwardly on the edge; the others being younger and 
more graceful, preferred to stand. Then Helen launched 
forth in her characteristic way. 

“ Those young ladies who took lunch with me to- 
day, ” she explained, “ all have beautiful homes of their 
own, but they know nothing of housekeeping. Now, 
when I was in College, I used to boast, every time a box 
came from home filled with delicious cakes and pies 
and pickles, that we had the best cook in America, and 
when they came here and saw how beautiful everything 
was done, they were just wild with delight; so I’ve in- 
vited them to spend a year with me, if their parents con- 
sent, and I’ve promised to ask you all if you would be 
willing to teach us your secrets. We want to learn from 
the beginning how to do the things which seem to come 
to you so naturally. ” 

There was a stir among the silent group; Jerry 
crossed and uncrossed his legs, Ann unfolded her arms, 
there was a look of battle on her face; the three maids 
giggled a little, John coughed discreetly behind a dep- 
recating hand. 

“ You see it is this way, ” went on Helen in her 
friendliest manner. “ Mother promises to dismiss all 
the other maids, if you’ll agree to take us on in their 
places for just this year. It’s to be like a big house- 
keeping class, with you as teachers. We want to learn 
everything, from the lowest to the highest, and — and of 
course the teachers will receive extra pay. We are going 

35 


HELEN ORMESBY 


to get nothing at all, but lots of experience and heaps 
of knowledge, so that when we have homes of our own 
we shall be as wise in ruling them as my mother is. ” 

“ Sure an’ I could wish ye no better luck, " said Ann 
approvingly. “ It’s many a year Eve been here, Miss 
Helen, an’ niver a cross word. But howiver am I to get 
on with me cookin', an’ a lot of greenhorns bouncing 
about, beggin' your pardon. An’ the stuff I’d send up to 
the table would turn me sowl sick. Ah shurra ! couldn't 
yez all git another hobby horse to ride! My land, 
ma’am, ” Ann cast an appealing glance at her mistress, 
but Mrs. Ormesby only smiled and shook her head. 

“ I promised Miss Helen not to interfere, but if you 
all would take her and her friends in hand, I am sure 
they would be grateful. " It was very little to say, but 
the gentle, courteous saying of it disarmed their sturdiest 
foe. Ann turned a mollified glance toward Helen. 

“ Miss Helen, I've a rale good snappin’ Irish timper ; 
whin things goes wrong in the kitchen I lay about me 
good fashion, ivery green fool I’ve taught needs shoutin' 
at. I’d lose me place if I done that to you or your 
friends. " 

“ No you wouldn't, ” said Helen, “ that’s just exactly 
what we want. ” 

“An’ is it me an' John that will be teachers, too?" 
asked Jerry. There was a twinkle in his eye, for he re- 
membered the time when Mrs. Ormesby herself was but 
a slip of a girl, and he had to teach her to drive the most 
skittish horse in her father’s stable. 

“ In more ways than you think, " said Helen, with a 
sage little nod. “ I'd like to begin to-morrow and drive 
out to the Farm with you, Jerry; maybe we’ll all go. 
Could you take us in that three seated country carriage ? 
We could pile three on a seat — we’ll see about it later. " 
36 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ As for these girls, ” she continued, smiling at the 
bashful maids, “ they will have their hands full. For 
there’s mending and darning and house-cleaning and 
waiting on table and ironing, and a dozen other things 
we’d have to learn, I can’t think of them all now, but 
if you’ll agree to help us out — ” 

“ We will, miss, ” said Mary, with her charming 
smile. 

“ You might go down and talk it over, ” suggested 
Helen, “ and if you’ve all agreed, let me know to-morrow. 
In the meantime say nothing to the other maids, we will 
make no changes this summer. It is all to begin in 
the Fall, you see, when my friends come back from their 
holiday trips. ” 

Jerry paused in the open doorway as the others 
passed out. “ How about the carriage, Miss Helen, will 
you be wanting it in the morning? ” 

Helen looked at her mother. “ Don’t you think it 
would be nice for the ‘ Seven ’ to spend the day there, 
pending the decision?” she suggested. “We can make 
a regular picnic out of it. ” 

“ The very thing, ” said Mrs. Ormesby. “ The Farm 
is at its loveliest just now. There are several messages 
I’d like to send to Mrs. Dennison, too, for we are going 
to close this house in about a week, and I want every- 
thing shipshape out there.” 

“All right, Jerry, unless you hear further, have the 
carriage at this door at half past seven, ” and Jerry, still 
with the amused twinkle in his eye, followed the others 
downstairs. He found the subject under brisk discus- 
sion in the front room where they congregated in the 
evenings. 

The voluble tongues of the three girls were wagging 
freely now, and Ann was raising the storm that had not 

37 


HELEN ORMESBY 


dared to burst forth upstairs. Jerry paused and listened 
in much amusement. 

“ Talk of the cackle of hens ! ” he exclaimed, “ you 
women folk could give ’em a half a mile an’ beat ’em in 
the race. Now just you listen to me ; I’ve been serving in 
the Darcy family twenty-five years, an’ Miss Helen’s 
half a Darcy. It’s no idle talk she’s givin’, let me tell 
you, she’s goin’ to carry this scheme through or my 
name’s not Jerry. It ain’t your place to laugh at her 
neither, you’ll have the laugh froze on your faces, see 
if you don’t. Miss Helen means business, an’ I for one 
am goin’ to back her up. Johnny, here, has got to think 
as I do, or there’ll be old Harry to pay. I won’t have 
Miss Helen laughed at, not when I’m around, take that 
now, and mind, John, you have them horses hitched up 
to the light summer carriage, by seven sharp. You’ll not 
be wanted, I’d rather have your room to your company, 
as I am to drive all the young ladies to the Farm. ” 

“What’s up there?” asked John in a broad grin. 

“ I don’t know, and I’m not presumin’ to ask. It’s 
my place to drive and take orders, it’s yours to shut up 
and ask no questions. ” Jerry stalked away to his com- 
fortable quarters above the carriage house, while John, 
much abashed, escaped from the chaffing of the giggling 
maids into the butler’s pantry, where he had some finish- 
ing work to do. 

Meanwhile Helen arranged her little impromptu 
picnic over the telephone; the girls were all anxious to 
go, and promised to be ready when she called for them. 

The morning rose fair and cloudless; Helen looked 
out of her window and saw Jerry sitting still and patient, 
in the pretty carriage before the door. As she ran down- 
stairs for a bite of early breakfast, she knocked at her 

38 


HELEN ORMESBY 


mother’s door in passing, for Mrs. Ormesby had a few 
last messages for Mrs. Dennison, the housekeeper. 

“ Good-by, Mummie dear, good luck with your part 
of the game; bring all the parents round, and we’ll put 
you on a pedestal and crown you with laurel. Is Daddy 
in his dressing-room ? ” He appeared on the threshold, 
brushes in hand. 

“ I wish I were going with you ; it must be glorious 
out among the hills. Did you know that Dorcas had 
a ‘ brand new ’ family ? ” 

“ No, you don’t say so. Oh, the dear little puppies ! 
The girls will go mad over them. ” 

“ They are not the only new things ; there’s a calf 
and a colt, and Rebecca, our noble and only sow, has 
a litter of pigs, and as for the chickens — ” 

“ We’ll have some for lunch. Take care of your- 
selves, good people, I’m off. ” 

It did not take Helen long to collect her guests, and 
such good time did Jerry make, with the help of the 
spirited bays, that by a few minutes after eight, they had 
crossed the ferry and were speeding along the country 
road. 

“ We might have come by train and missed all the 
beauties of the drive, ” said Helen from her perch be- 
side Jerry, “ but the winding roads and the views of 
the everlasting hills would pay even the busiest for a 
little wasted time. ” 

“ I should think so, ” said Ruth ; the horses were 
pulling the carriage slowly up a hill, and the girls could 
look down upon an undulating, fertile valley spread be- 
neath them, with its background of blue sky, and in the 
distance a shimmering line of water; then as suddenly 
the road would dip into another valley, and the hills 

39 


HELEN ORMESBY 


would rise up around them, towering, graceful, green- 
clad hills, with the breath of the wild flowers still linger- 
ing in their forest depths. Once they rolled through a 
pretty little village, and again they traveled in the open, 
passing villas in wooded parks, and finally they struck 
into a country road, bordered on either side by dog-roses, 
and the air was full of indescribable sweet odors. 

“ This is the beginning of Father’s estate, ” explained 
Helen. “ We drive for miles before we reach the house. 
And the roads from here wind slowly, as up a mountain 
pass, for the house is on the summit of the hill. As the 
carriage draws up in front of the steps, I can promise 
you a wonderful view of the surrounding country. ” 

They reached their destination long before noon, 
much to the surprise and somewhat to the consternation 
of good Mrs. Dennison; she was accustomed to seeing 
Jerry at unexpected moments, but Jerry and a carriage 
full of strangers, was a most unusual sight indeed at this 
season. 

She came to the door in a flutter, her cap awry and 
a dazed look upon her usually placid face, but Helen, 
springing out before the others, flung her arms about 
the substantial form, thereby smothering all ejaculations, 
as the girls came up and were formally presented. Then 
after resting for an hour or more, on the long, delight- 
ful veranda, Helen left them with Mrs. Dennison and 
went with Jerry on a tour of inspection. 

Everything that money could devise had been done 
to improve this beautiful spot, and Nature had been 
specially kind ; nowhere in all the country round were the 
trees more beautiful and majestic, or the ground more 
fertile and yielding. 

Jerry led the way proudly to the gardens, Helen was 
always so eager about the growing things, and the old 
40 


HELEN ORMESBY 


coachman was equally as good a gardener and overseer. 

“ Things is up ahead of time this year, what with the 
early spring and no frost in between. I’ll show you 
prize corn and tomatoes, Miss Helen, to say nothing of 
my strawberry bed over there. We could supply a mar- 
ket with what we throw away, more’s the pity. ” 

“ That’s what I want to ask you about,” said Helen, 
perching herself on the low stone wall which bounded 
the gardens. “ That’s why I wanted to come out to the 
Farm to-day. I want to consult you, Jerry; I want to 
make this Farm pay.” 

“You, miss?” Jerry’s face creased itself in its slow 
broad smile. 

“ Yes, and I’ll tell you just a little more than I’ve 
told the others, because I want you to help me, and the 
Farm is a big consideration. We are going to experi- 
ment next year. Father will be a little tied up in his 
business and he has given me permission to do what I 
can to keep our house running as it is now. It strikes 
me — with the outlay of a big wagon — we could do a 
driving business among our friends in town, who would 
be glad to buy from us, and it seems a shame to waste 
all these fine products, to say nothing of the butter and 
eggs running to ruin.” 

“That’s right, Miss Helen,” said Jerry approvingly. 
“ There’s a lot to be made on a fine old place like this, 
and not takin’ the bread out of people’s mouths, either.” 

“ That’s what I always thought,” declared Helen. 
“ I’m going to make you my steward, Jerry, and let you 
manage out here, for of course I’m very ignorant about 
everything; but I’ll get you your customers and keep 
the accounts, and I believe the Farm will pay for itself 
in the end.” 

“ Sure, I’ve always said so, with the right sort of 
41 


HELEN ORMESBY 


handling,” said Jerry, a shade of respectful admiration 
creeping into his tone. Then they plunged into an ani- 
mated discussion, which included every known fruit and 
vegetable under the sun. 

Meanwhile, the girls on the veranda chatted with 
Mrs. Dennison and enjoyed the lemonade and little cakes 
she provided for them. Then she took them through 
the quaint old house, some portions of which had seen 
Revolutionary days, pausing here and there beside a pic- 
ture or a bit of furniture, to tell some story of the past, 
for the old lady had seen several generations beneath 
that roof, and knew every tradition and superstition 
that hovered around it, and there was nothing she liked 
better than to have an eager audience hang upon her 
words. 

Something in the bright young faces of the girls 
roused all her most hospitable feelings. 

“ I must scare you up something for luncheon,” she 
said, “ or I shall be in Miss Helen's black books. Do 
whatever you like, my dears, I won’t be long,” and she 
bustled away. 

Josephine found a fine old piano in the drawing- 
room. It had mother-of-pearl keys, and the wood was 
beautifully inlaid in floral design; it was very old as 
well as very handsome, and the girl opened it reverently 
and struck a few mellow chords. Her trained ear caught 
the beauty of the notes, and slipping on to the music- 
stool she gave herself up to dreams and harmonies, for- 
getful of all about her. 

Edith Carlyle settled herself in a great armchair, to 
wonder and listen, which she usually did when Joseph- 
ine played. Sylvia and the twins were in the big old- 
fashioned library, looking over the stacks of magazines 
which Mrs. Dennison collected during the year ; but Ruth 
42 


HELEN ORMESBY 


was restless, she could not bear to stay indoors away 
from the beauty of the day. 

She laid herself down in the hammock in a shady 
corner of the veranda, staring at the clear blue of the 
sky, against which a spreading oak stood sharply out- 
lined. What a place to dream in! Not with her fingers, 
as Josephine did, but “ ‘ in my mind’s eye, Horatio,’ ” 
she said, with a sleepy little yawn. Then a sound smote 
her trained Western ear — the unmistakable neighing of 
horses and barking of dogs. She started up, alert and 
eager. 

“ The stables must be near,” she said, “ and there 
are dogs, too — I wonder where ? ” 

To wonder, with Ruth, was to investigate; she 
slipped out of the hammock and ran down the broad 
front steps. The sounds came from the rear; she 
turned her glance in that direction, and then followed 
her inquisitive little nose. 

The stables were some distance away, but the sounds 
drew her like a magnet, for she was wild about horses. 
Every summer she lived in the saddle from morning till 
night, riding with her younger brother all over the vast 
prairie lands of her father’s ranch, and now it seemed 
as if the horses were calling her. As she came nearer 
she could see that the stable boys were rubbing down 
the bays after their long drive, and she noticed, besides, 
two or three beauties in the stalls. One proud mare had 
her colt beside her, and Ruth gave vent to a little shriek 
of delight. One of the men looked up and touched his 
cap. 

“ You’ll be wanting to see the pups, miss? ” he asked. 

“ Oh, I didn’t know there were any. I came to see 
the horses, but I love dogs.” 

“ Here, Dorcas ! ” called the man, and down from 

4 43 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the loft tumbled the happy family. The mother, a set- 
ter of exceptional breed, was a beautiful creature, with 
her long silky brown ears, and eyes of almost human 
sadness. The puppies, a silky mass of brown and white, 
were rolling and romping on the stable floor. 

“ Oh, you darlings ! ” cried Ruth, swooping down 
and gathering one of them in her arms. 

“ Look out, miss, he’ll give you the slip ; he’s the 
wriggliest of them all.” 

But the warning came too late, the puppy was off 
and away before Ruth knew how it had happened, and 
before any one could give the alarm and close the stable 
doors he was in the open, scampering out of sight as 
fast as his short legs would carry him. 

At this, Dorcas set up a motherly howl, but Ruth, 
calling to the man not to let her follow, tore after the 
puppy, who seemed to be making toward a distant hedge. 
The mischievous little fellow would look back once in a 
while and wag his stump of a tail ; he was having the 
time of his life, once he could get ‘on the other side of 
that hedge. 

Ruth hoped against hope that he couldn’t, but, alas! 
as he saw her gaining on him he hurled himself through 
with a baby yelp of triumph, and Ruth could hear his 
small feet making good time; she stood and wrung her 
hands. The hedge was too thick and too high for her 
to get through, and her best plan was to return to the 
stable. Suddenly her eye fell upon a thinned-out place 
evidently worn by passing to and fro; in a moment her 
lithe active young figure had squeezed its way to the 
other side, just as the tail of the scampering puppy 
whisked round a corner. Instantly the stillness was 
broken by a shout and a chorus of voices. 

“ Head him off, Will, head him off ! it’s one of the 

44 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Ormesby puppies. Kitty, fly to that low fence, he may 
try to creep under. I’ll stay here, for he’ll be sure to 
come back, and then we have him — oh, I beg your par- 
don ! ” for the speaker, wheeling round suddenly, 
bumped smartly into Ruth, who had been running at 
top speed. The shock of the encounter bounced her 
glasses from her nose, and the tall, square-shouldered 
young fellow, stooping, picked them up and returned 
them with a bow. 

“ Pardon my clumsiness,” he said. “ I didn’t see you 
coming, I was only intent on the puppy, it belongs to a 
neighbor of ours, Mr. Ormesby.” 

“ Yes, I know,” said Ruth, panting a little and mop- 
ping her hot face. “ I had him in my arms ; he acted 
like a greased pig and slipped through, and then he 
acted like a little imp of Satan.” 

“ Never mind, the children will catch him, they’ve 
been sitting cramped up for too long listening to my 
nonsense, anyway. Won’t you rest a bit? You look 
‘ blown,’ as we runners say, as if you’d lost your wind.” 

“ I have — yes — thank you.” Ruth dropped upon a 
bench he pushed toward her. 

“ Wait, I’ll get you a glass of water,” and he hur- 
ried across the lawn toward a pretty cottage, which she 
had not noticed before. 

By the time he returned she was standing up watch- 
ing with much interest the chase at the bottom of the 
hill. The poor bewildered puppy was cornered; it was 
a “ toss up ” to whom he would surrender. He made 
unsteady little runs from one side to the other; finally 
he laid himself down, with a vanquished little growl, be- 
tween his jailors. 

“ Instinct is a curious thing, and ‘ dogibus ’ was 
right. Will would have tweaked his ears and Kitty 

45 


HELEN ORMESBY 


would have spanked him; he chose the middle course, 
it’s always best,” and he laughed pleasantly as he handed 
her the water. 

“ Thank you,” said Ruth, demurely, and as she 
sipped the water she glanced at the young man, whose 
eyes were following the victorious procession as it came 
toiling up the hill. Kitty was leading the way with the 
puppy in her arms, while Will followed more leisurely, 
the excitement of the chase over — there were plenty of 
fallen cherries to pick up and devour on the way back. 
He turned an anxious face toward her. 

“ Have cherries ever been known to kill people ? ” 
he asked. “ If so, I tremble for that boy. I’m not ex- 
aggerating when I estimate his capacity at a peck a 
day.” 

“ Has he been ill ? ” inquired Ruth. 

“ Not yet; the gods seem to smile upon him and me.” 

“ You ought to knock three times on wood,” sug- 
gested Ruth, handing back the glass. “ Thank you ever 
so much for the trouble you’ve taken.” 

“ What trouble ? ” He looked at her, and his gray 
eyes were full of merriment. 

“ Decidedly not handsome,” thought Ruth, “ but good 
eyes.” Aloud she answered his question, “ Why, for 
catching the puppy.” 

“ I didn’t catch him.” 

“ No, but your little boy did, or rather your little 
girl — or I should say both.” 

He threw back his head, and his boyish laugh rang 
out. 

“ I am glad my age impresses you ; however, I’m not 
the father of those kids, only an uncle. They are my 
sister’s children,” he added simply and with a touch of 
gravity. “Their father died when Will was a baby — 
46 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Margie died last year. They have no one belonging to 
them but me, and I make a pretty poor substitute, I’m 
afraid.” 

Ruth’s keen little face softened with sympathy. 

“ I am sure you do your best,” she said, peering at 
him through her glasses. “ You look kind — is this your 
home?” 

“ Oh, no, we are just summer boarders; we are on 
the Ormesby estate, you know. That little cottage is 
occupied by an old nurse of the children’s — she has 
charge of the dairy out here — and has kindly taken us 
in while I make my plans for next year ; but I beg your 
pardon — naturally this would not interest you.” 

“ Oh, but it does,” said Ruth eagerly ; “ every bit of 
real life interests me. I am an embryo author, you must 
understand.” 

“ Oh, I see,” again the gray eyes twinkled as they 
turned toward her. 

“ My name,” she said, flushing a little under the 
scrutiny, “ is Ruth Edgerton. I am out here spending 
the day with Miss Helen Ormesby and a few other Col- 
lege chums. I must hurry back now or they’ll be miss- 
ing me.” She looked toward a spreading cherry-tree, 
under which the two children seemed to be glued. 

“ Will ! Kitty ! ” He made a megaphone of his hands 
and sent the sound to them; reluctantly they advanced, 
the puppy struggling and writhing in Kitty’s arms. 

“ He seems an unwilling captive,” said the young 
fellow. “ Perhaps I’d better carry him back for you. 
There’s a gleam of mischief still in his unvanquished eye. 
Bring him here, Kit, I want to introduce you to this 
young lady. Miss Edgerton, my niece, Katharine Grey, 
and my nephew, William, of the same name.” 

The boy touched his cap, military fashion, the girl 

47 


HELEN ORMESBY 


dipped a quaint old-fashioned curtsey. The little act of 
breeding impressed Ruth. She looked up into the face 
of the tall young man. 

“ And you,” she said, “ please, who are you ? ” 

Kitty opened her big eyes. “ Why, I thought every- 
body knew Uncle Fred. Shall I introduce you, dear?” 
she added, in a patronizing tone that convulsed Ruth. 

“Yes,” he replied gravely, “I think it would be 
better.” 

“ Miss Edgerton, let me introduce my uncle, Mr. 
Frederick Marston Gayle,” said Kitty, with her most 
old-fashioned air. 

“ Oh, come off, Kit ! ” said Will, who scorned the 
amenities. “ He’s just plain old Fritz — that’s what he 
is — the j oiliest old boy you ever came across, Miss Ed- 
gerton. Wait till you know him. Kit’s been reading 
books with introductions in them, and she went to danc- 
ing-school last winter, so she’s kind of stiff at the job — 
don’t you like my way best ? ” 

“ I think I like both,” said Ruth, “ and I’d like to 
stay longer and make friends, but they’ll be missing me 
at the Farm.” 

“ Suppose we all see you back ? ” suggested her new 
friend. “ The son of Dorcas seems restive and may 
give you trouble. Come along, kids. Miss Edgerton 
came in through your clearing in the hedge, so we’ll go 
out the same way.” 

The rest of the “ Seven ” were on the veranda as 
the odd procession made its appearance. The young 
man took off his cap as Helen came down the steps. 

“If this is Miss Ormesby,” he said, “ I take pleas- 
ure in restoring all of her property — her guest and her 
dog.” 

“ Helen, this is Mr. Gayle,” said Ruth, with an air 

48 


HELEN ORMESBY 


of embarrassment. “ Miss Ormesby, Mr. Gayle. And 
these are two friends of mine, Katharine and William 
Grey.” The children’s critical attitude relaxed. 

“ Pretty good for an introduction,” declared Will, 
who seemed to be authority on such matters. Ruth 
sighed with relief. 

“ ‘ Praise from Sir Hubert Stanley,’ ” she began, 
patting the boy’s shoulder. 

“ I’m sorry to have given you so much trouble,” said 
Helen. “ Won’t you come in and rest? ” 

“No, I thank you. I’m a near neighbor of yours 
and I know my way to the stables. If you’ll allow me, 
I’ll take the puppy there on my way back.” 

“ Wait one minute,” said Helen. “ Dorcas is my 
special property, and I’m allowed the disposal of the 
puppies. Do you think the children would like this 
one?” 

He had no time to reply. There was a shriek of de- 
light from both children, and Kitty flung herself on the 
unresisting Helen. 

“You’re a perfect darling!” she cried, while Will 
shook her hands like a pump handle. 

Their uncle laughed. “ I think you’re answered, 
Miss Ormesby.” 

“ It’s really Ruth’s gift,” said Helen, smiling at her 
friend. 

“ We don’t care, so long as it’s the dog,” said Will, 
in true boy fashion. 

“ Dear me, Will, I must say you’re rude. If it hadn’t 
been for Miss Edgerton we’d never have seen the dog,” 
cried Kitty, with the tact of her sex. 

“What shall we call him, Uncle?” asked Will, ig- 
noring the rebuke. “ We’ve got to get a name right off, 
you see.” 


49 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ It’s a pity you couldn’t make his name a compli- 
ment to the givers; he’s such a beauty, he’ll grow up a 
prince among dogs,” suggested the young man. 

“ I have it ! ” cried Ruth. “ Call him Royal High- 
ness. There you have the initial letter of my name and 
of Helen’s, and as you say he is a prince, the title will 
be a fitting one.” 

“ Good, good ! ” exclaimed Kitty, taking fire. 
“ ‘ Royal Highness ’ he shall be. Perhaps he is an en- 
chanted prince or something — who can tell ? ” * 

“ That comes of reading fairy tales,” said Will 
scornfully, turning to his new friends. “ She’s always 
imagining such stuff.” 

“ It isn’t stuff,” protested Kitty. 

“ I call it stuff,” persisted the boy. “ Girls are stu- 
pid things, anyway.” 

The light of battle flashed in Kitty’s eye. The young 
man intervened at the critical moment. 

“ I think I’ll get them home before there’s blood- 
shed,” he said laughing, and shaking hands with the 
two girls. He got between the combatants. “ Off with 
you now, for a race to the hedge. I will carry the 
prince,” and lifting his cap he too followed the flying 
figures with long strides. 

“ Well, it takes Ruth to have an adventure,” called 
Sylvia, leaning over the stone balustrade. “ Who is 
your knight, anyway?” 

“ I’d forgotten all about Lizzie’s boarders,” said 
Helen. “ Father wrote me about them in the spring. 
Mr. Gayle is a young Columbia student. This is his 
senior year, I believe. His sister’s sudden death left 
these children on his hands. Lizzie was their nurse 
once — ” 

“ Yes, he told me,” said Ruth. 

50 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ And she wrote father,” continued Helen, “ ask- 
ing permission to take them to board for the summer, 
while young Mr. Gayle made his plans. The children, 
it seems, have enough to support them, with no one to 
take care of them but this — well, he looks like a boy, 
though I daresay he’s older. Father made inquiries 
about him at the University. They say he’s top notch 
as a student. That’s all I know, though I suppose 
we’ll grow very chummy this summer, the children are 
such ducks.” 

“ Aren’t they ? ” echoed Ruth, with such enthusiasm 
that the twins giggled. 

“ Come to lunch, girls,” said Helen, catching sight 
of Mrs. Dennison’s beckoning hand. 

That kind lady had the board groaning with the 
good things of the earth, and to say the girls did justice 
to the meal only conveys a hazy idea of the hearty ap- 
petites which bore down upon the home products. Mrs. 
Dennison beamed; nothing delighted her hospitable soul 
so much as this rapid disappearance of her jelly-cake 
and home preserves, to say nothing of the apple-pie that 
melted in one’s mouth. 

Such a lovely afternoon they spent, foraging about 
the beautiful place. There was little said about the new 
plan, though each girl had it uppermost in her mind. 
It was only when they gathered under the spreading 
oak at the side of the house, waiting for Jerry and his 
team to carry them back to the city, that Edith voiced 
the general anxiety. 

“ Oh, I wonder how everybody behaved at the 
tea?” 

“ They are probably at it now,” said Helen. “ I’d 
like to hear some of the ‘ pros ’ and ‘ cons,’ wouldn’t 
you?” 


5i 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ The ‘ cons ’ don’t interest me in the least,” said 
Elsie. 

“ In my lexicon of youth there’s no such word as 
‘ con,’ ” declaimed Sylvia, as they piled into the carriage. 

The drive home, with the tints of the summer sun- 
set touching the hills on every side, was very beautiful, 
a fitting close to their day; but it was a tired Helen who. 
at last, in the empty carriage, drove up to her own, front 
door. 

John answered the bell, with a grin. “ You’re to go 
upstairs into the boody-wa, Miss Helen,” he said, with 
a mysterious air; but there was no anxiety on his face, 
only suppressed mirth. “ Dinner has been delayed, miss, 
a half an hour.” 

Helen tip-toed up to the boudoir. Her mother lay 
on the lounge, looking very girlish and pretty in her 
negligee. She waved her hand at Helen’s approach ; she 
looked very tired, but there was laughter in her eyes. 

“ Well, Mummie? ” she asked anxiously. 

“ Victory, my dear girl, but behold the price ! ” 


CHAPTER IV 


T HE summer days were over, and all the country 
world was dressed in gold and red and russet. 
The city had one eye open upon the busy, stir- 
ring life down town, though above the line of traffic 
and trade there hung a drowsy silence. The big gray 
Ormesby mansion was still barricaded with its wooden 
shutters, and Helen, as she mounted the steps, accom- 
panied by Phyllis and Mary, experienced a very odd 
sensation. 

Hitherto, their return from the country had been 
marked by much state. Two or three of the maids had 
always come ahead to take down the shutters and open 
and air the place. Then Ann and her satellites arrived 
to get the kitchen into shape and attend to the market- 
ing, so that on the final day, when the Farm was handed 
over to Mrs. Dennison for the rest of the year, Mrs. 
Ormesby and Helen usually donned their prettiest, and 
were driven in behind a pair of the Ormesby thorough- 
breds. They had only to step from their carriage into 
their beautiful, well-ordered home, and the “ moving ” 
was accomplished. 

But this year Helen herself was eager to take 
charge. 

“ I want to dig down to the very roots,” she said to 
her mother, and accordingly, she stood now inserting 
her latch-key into the heavily wrought bronze lock. 

She gave a little gasp as she passed into the close 

53 


HELEN ORMESBY 


atmosphere of the shut-up house; the air was heavy 
with camphor, and the swathed chandeliers and furni- 
ture lent the whole place a ghostly look. This was in- 
tensified by a red and blue light which pierced the gloom 
at the farther end of the hall, streaming from a stained- 
glass window, high above the carved mantel in the 
foyer. 

“ We’ll change our dresses first,” said Helen, “ and 
then fall to work. No, thank you, Phyllis,” as that 
faithful handmaiden made a motion to carry up her 
suit-case, “ I can do that myself ; open all the windows, 
girls, as you go upstairs. I’d like to have the place 
fit to breathe in before the young ladies get here, and 
the three of us can do something, I fancy.” 

Her own room looked very sweet and cool and 
sleepy-looking, with its drawn blinds and its draped 
furniture, but Helen had no time to wonder or admire. 
In a jiffy, her hatpins were out and her hat laid aside. 

She opened her suit-case and shook out the pretty 
blue linen housemaids’ gowns which Miss Pierce had 
made during the summer for all of the girls. Each one 
was tagged with the name of the owner, so there was 
no trouble in selecting and slipping into hers at once. 
There were also seven trim-looking aprons and as many 
dainty caps, and when Helen stood equipped she made 
a pleasing picture. 

These three active young women broke blithely into 
the stillness of everything around them. John, arriving 
providentially upon the scene, took down the shutters. 
Helen and Phyllis began to uncover the necessary arti- 
cles of furniture, while Mary used her mop and broom 
with an energy which surprised even herself. By noon, 
the air of gloom and chilliness had worn off, little flecks 
of the autumn sunlight stole in through the opened win- 

54 


HELEN ORMESBY 


dows, and Helen ate her luncheon in the great deserted 
dining-room, well pleased with her morning’s work. 

It was not much of a luncheon, but it was probably 
the first she had ever fixed for herself, and though there 
was not much art in cutting thin slices of bread and 
butter, setting out in tempting array the cold “bite ” put 
up by Mrs. Dennison, and brewing a cup of the 
Ormesby’s far-famed tea, she went about it in a dainty, 
practical way, suggestive of many things in the future. 

She was thinking busily as she sat munching a sand- 
wich; her summer had not been idle, she and Jerry had 
gone to work with a will, and the Farm, for the first 
time, was an undeniable and paying success. She had 
rung the curtain up on the new experiment by sending 
charming little notes to their many friends, explaining 
just what the “ Seven ” proposed to do during the com- 
ing year, and offering to send in their weekly supply of 
country products, including butter and eggs. At first 
Jerry undertook to drive the gay wagon with its tempt- 
ing load, but Jerry had his pride to consider, and he 
owned rather shamefacedly to Helen that he did not like 
to stop at the back gates of houses where he had been 
accustomed to draw up his spirited bays to the front 
door. 

“ It ain’t that I’m proud, Miss Helen, but I can’t 
abide for them snobbish little footmen to come out and 
grin at me, and ask if I’ve lost my job. What you need 
is a responsible, reliable man for the work.” 

It was at this moment that the thought of young 
Mr. Gayle popped into her head, and it proved indeed 
a happy one, for the struggling young senior, eager to 
make some extra money, fell right in with her plan, with 
the result that it was largely due to his energy and ac- 
tivity that the scheme had prospered. 

55 ' 


HELEN ORMESBY 


She was expecting him now to make his weekly re- 
port, and she was anxious, too, to learn where he had 
bestowed his small family, for college was about to 
open. He would have his hands full if he wished to 
keep up his year’s record and do his duty to the mother- 
less children, who had already flung themselves, in their 
impetuous way, into his affections, and when John had 
ushered him in, she met him with her best welcoming 
smile, though he looked like a flourishing young team- 
ster and she like an upper housemaid. 

“Well, how goes it?” he asked, shaking hands and 
glancing at her admiringly. “ Hard work becomes you, 
Miss Helen.” 

She laughed. “ I hope that will be your verdict a 
year hence.” 

“Why a year?” 

“ Because that will be the end of the experiment. 
This is only the beginning, and there are mountains of 
difficulty to climb before then.” 

“You’ve proved your worth at tackling problems.” 

“ Oh, things financial always appeal to me. I just 
love mathematics.” 

“ Then here’s a sum in addition,” he said, throwing 
some coins in her lap and handing her a roll of bills. 
“Trade grows — I’ve ten new names on my list.” 

“ You certainly are valuable. I hate to give you 

up.” 

“ You needn’t. If Jerry can bring in the wagon 
load each Saturday, I’ll be on hand to go the rounds. 
It will add to my exchequer considerably, and while the 
kids have enough for their small needs, they can’t run 
the whole show.” 

“ Sit down and tell me all about it ; have some lunch. 
I haven’t left much, to be sure, but it may stave off 

56 


HELEN ORMESBY 


pangs of hunger before you get home. Did you find a 
nest ? ” 

“A jolly snug little one, just around the corner from 
the college. There’s a little room where Will and I 
can double up; a tiny burrow for Kitty, big enough for 
her bed and her thoughts, if they don’t expand to out- 
rageous proportions, and there’s a hole in the wall for 
the first unsuspecting maid I can pop into it. There’s 
a good-sized living room, a bandbox of a dining-room, 
and a kitchen where you can’t swing a cat, but it’s 
bright and sunny, so let us be cheerful. I don’t know 
how the Prince will stand it, though; his tastes are 
aristocratic, and the Ormesby stables would completely 
cover and hide the entire habitation.” 

“ When do you move in ? ” 

“ We make our royal entry among the carrots and 
the late corn next Saturday. Will smells an adventure 
• — Kitty views it mournfully; she dreams of chariots, 
like many another little Cinderella.” 

Helen laughed. 

“ Can’t Jerry bring her in? ” 

He shook his head. 

“ I’d rather not. Kit reads too many books that tell 
of luxuries. She’d have a top-loftical air with Will 
which would madden him, and there’s no wide open 
space to fight it out. Besides ” — Fred flushed a little 
as he spoke, but he gave Helen a simple, direct look 
from those keen gray eyes of his — “ I don’t want the 
youngsters to like you or the others for what you can 
give them. I want them to be very independent, and 
there’s only one way.” 

“ You are right,” said Helen, a comprehending light 
shining in her eyes, “ and we girls will help you all we 
can. We’ll have our own problems, you know; we’re 

57 


HELEN ORMESBY 


nothing but children ourselves, overfond of luxury, 
and taking without question what other people give us. 
This year will be the real test of whether we’ve earned 
our diplomas. I wonder if all the others are as eager 
to begin as I am ? ” 

“ When do you expect them ? ” 

“ At any hour from now on. Josephine Ashton is 
the first, as she comes direct from Philadelphia. The 
twins wouldn’t go home, they were afraid the social 
whirl might draw them in, so they came down from 
the mountains. Sylvia’s been traveling in Canada. 
Edith Carlyle has been among the Great Lakes, and 
Ruth has been lassoing wild horses on the prairies. All 
roads lead to New York, however, so we will dine to- 
gether this evening, and a pretty jolly time we’ll have. 
'There’s the bell now, wait and see,” for he rose hur- 
riedly as the sound pealed through the house. 

“ No, I’d rather not. I’ll make my escape through 
the back door. Better have the coast clear and begin 
straight,” and the discreet youth vanished with a wave 
of his hand, while Helen waved back as she hurried 
out into the hall. 

It proved to be Josephine and her violin case. 

“ Am I the first ? ” she asked, anxiously peering into 
the deserted hall. “ Oh, I’m so glad, for really, Helen, 
now that the die is cast, I’m in a panic. I wish I’d ac- 
cepted your invitation to spend the summer at the Farm 
and get into some sort of harness. Mother thought that 
would be unfair to the others, but I don’t think so. Any 
one could beat me at the practical jobs, I’m only good 
for this, you know,” and she laid her hand affectionately 
on her violin case. 

Helen gazed at her critically. 

“ You have such a soulful expression when you look 

58 


HELEN ORMESBY 


at your violin, I wonder if I’ll ever surprise a glance like 
that when you are gazing at a duster. Come upstairs, 
dear. We parceled out your rooms before we went 
away. There are three beauties on the third floor. Who 
would you like to have for a room-mate ? ” 

“ Edith and I have always been most congenial,” 
began Josephine. 

“ Oh, goodness, no ! ” cried Helen aghast. “ Two 
dreamers in one room will produce a nightmare. Take 
Ruth or one of the twins. They are levelers.” 

“ You’re not going to separate the twins ! ” 

Helen nodded. 

“ Mother thinks it’s the best thing in the world for 
them. They look so much alike, they do so many 
things alike, that it’s grown to be an affectation, and for 
working purposes won’t do at all.” 

“ You are very wise,” said Josephine admiringly. 
“How do you find out so much? You always were a 
wonder, Helen.” 

“ I don’t find out anything — I’m only groping and 
guessing, like the rest of us, and I’m going to make 
more blunders than all of you put together, because 
I’m going to steer in the dark. Come, now, * first come, 
first served ’ ; you shall have the choice of rooms and 
Alice for a chum. I think Elsie will fit in nicely with 
Ruth, and Sylvia — the every-day little butterfly — is the 
very companion for Edith, with her high-flown ideas of 
benefiting the world.” 

They ran up the broad stairs, and Helen leading the 
way, opened wide the doors of the three attractive bed- 
rooms. The maids, with her assistance, had done 
everything possible to give them a cheery, homelike ap- 
pearance. They were large and airy, daintily furnished 
with light furniture and chintz hangings, while in each 
5 59 


HELEN ORMESBY 


room, drawn up on one side of the large open fire- 
place, was a most tempting little tea-table, with cups 
and saucers and a fat little tea-kettle. 

“ I thought after the labors of the day we’d like to 
congregate somewhere for a social dish, just like we did 
at college. I have one in my room, so there’ll always 
be tea on tap after hours. Mother says it’s a pernicious 
habit, but she relented when I explained that ‘ tea ’ 
usually meant fudge and frolic. There goes the bell 
again. If you are not too tired, Josie darling, get out 
of your fashionable rig and into this one.” She pointed 
to the maid’s dress and cap and apron, spread out on 
one of the twin beds. “ I must be on hand to meet the 
girls myself.” 

The house soon began to hum. First came Ruth, 
burnt black from the prairie sun; Sylvia, singing the 
praises of quaint old Canada; the twins, all pink and 
brown from the mountains, and Edith, sweet and dreamy 
as ever, her fair, lovely face unmarred by the summer 
tan, her blue eyes looking “ above and beyond,” as Ruth 
expressed it. 

Phyllis and Mary were on hand to lend assistance to 
the new arrivals according to the old-established 
Ormesby custom, but Helen shook her head. 

“ We’d better begin at once, girls, and help ourselves. 
If you are not too tired to lug up your satchels and get 
into uniform, we’ll take a little practice with the dus- 
ter. The library is still shrouded, and mother likes to 
have that spot cozy when she comes home.” 

“ Good ! ” cried Ruth. “ I feel strong enough to 
build a house at this present moment. If you’d ever 
been on a ranch and lassoed horses you’d appreciate 
my energy. Father has shipped two of my special pets 
to the stables here, so I may be able to exercise now 
60 


HELEN ORMESBY 


and then. In the meantime, dusters for me. Where 
are our rooms, and what is my fate? I suppose we're 
to pair off.” 

" Of course. You are to take Elsie, Josephine will 
have Alice, and Edith and Sylvia are cut out for each 
other.” 

The twins looked a little aghast at being separated, 
but they were either too polite or too shy to say any- 
thing just then, and a few minutes later they were don- 
ning house-gowns, caps and aprons, and exclaiming over 
their pretty rooms. Then they fell upon the library, 
seven strong, flourishing dusters and chattering as they 
worked. 

The first thing was to uncover the furniture. Phyl- 
lis brought a large basket, a pincushion, and a pair of 
scissors; one girl took out the pins and stuck them into 
the cushion ; another snipped the necessary stitches, 
while the others shook out and folded the white draper- 
ies as they slipped to the floor, piling them up in the 
basket. 

“ I never knew it was such fun ! ” exclaimed Sylvia. 
“ Why, work just flies this way.” 

“Naturally, with seven of us on the same job; but 
wait till later on. I’ve seen something of it on the ranch 
when help was scarce,” and Ruth unfurled and shook 
out a duster in a capable way that provoked consider- 
able applause. 

The twins looked at their white hands and sighed 
in chorus, but no one noticed them, so they took up dus- 
ters without a murmur and fell to work. 

Gradually the library emerged in all its homelike 
beauty, and as the many things of interest came to light 
they forgot the work in the pleasure of listening to 
Helen’s descriptions, for she loved her home, and knew 
61 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the history and tradition which hung around every treas- 
ured article. 

But as the shadows fell and the library began to 
shine with its energetic polishing, Helen called a halt. 

“ We mustn’t expend all our efforts in one spot. 
When Mary lights the logs I think all the summer mus- 
tiness will go. Now come up in my room, we’ll have 
our initial tea and talk. I’m dying to hear what every 
one has been doing for the last three months. Bring 
your fiddle, Josephine. I vote for twilight music every 
day.” 

“ Don’t you love the crackle of a log fire ! ” and 
Sylvia curled herself up on Helen’s rug with a sigh of 
satisfaction, for though the day was not chilly, it was 
cool enough to make even a little blaze feel comfortable, 
and the kettle on her tea-table was beginning to gurgle 
invitingly. The girls grouped themselves in character- 
istic fashion, while Helen fussed hospitably among her 
cups and saucers. 

“ Who’s to begin ? ” she inquired. “ Edith, the si- 
lent, we’ll hear from you.” 

“ Oh, I’ve been floating on the bosom of the waters, 
and mighty ones, too. I really hadn’t intended to leave 
father this summer. The dear old place looked so 
beautiful, but after the experiment failed ” 

“ What experiment ! ” exclaimed a chorus. 

Helen, who had gleaned something of it through 
Edith’s letters, smiled as she poured the tea. 

Edith flushed a little, and for a moment the white 
lids veiled the starry eyes; she looked so charming in 
her confusion that one of the twins patted her back 
encouragingly. 

“Well, I daresay it was visionary; but father and 
I had a confidential talk one night, and I told him how 
62 


HELEN ORMESBY 


I longed to do something to help people less fortunate 
than I was. I remembered a little disused cottage about 
a mile away from our house, and I asked him if I might 
have it repaired, and invite half a dozen poor children 
at a time to spend a week in the country. I thought a 
sight of so much beauty, after their dismal, crowded 
tenement houses, would do them good in many ways, 
and I had such fun getting things ready. There were 
only five rooms, two large enough to hold three small 
beds apiece, also a washstand and three chairs, a smaller 
room for the person in charge, a dining-room and 
kitchen. Oh, it was lovely ! ” and Edith gave a sad and 
reminiscent shake of her head. 

“ Go on,” commanded Sylvia. 

“ I wrote to a well-known settlement and explained 
what I wanted. Of course, all the workers there were 
delighted. They wrote, asking which I would prefer, 
girls or boys, they had quantities of both.” 

“ They always do,” said Ruth. 

“ Well, I had a batch of girls up first. They were 
not so bad; indeed, they rather enjoyed themselves, I 
think, and Miss Nesbitt, who had charge of them, was 
really very nice. She and I had long talks about her 
work and what I’d like to do, and I was beginning to 
get very enthusiastic. One or two of the children were 
quite interesting, but would you believe it, they got 
homesick, they didn’t like the soft earth, they wanted 
a good hard pavement to play ‘ jack-stones ’ on. They 
turned up their noses at the vegetable garden. I heard 
one of them say, ‘ We’ve got a fine wagon that comes 
around to our door without the trouble of pickin’; my 
mother has just to poke her head out of the window and 
sing out what she wants, and the kids gets it, an’ she 
throws the money down in a piece of paper.* ** 

63 


HELEN ORMESBY 


The laugh went round at this, but Edith looked pa- 
thetic. 

“ ‘ The worst of my tale is to tell/ I had the boys 
up the next week. They wrote me from the Settle- 
ment to let them work off their surplus energy and 
they’d be all right, but they didn’t tell me how much 
surplus energy they had. They were disgusted, to be- 
gin with, that the cottage wasn’t a camp; but they did 
all they could to demolish it, poked holes in the walls 
and ceilings, kicked the enamel off the beds, broke the 
faucets and flooded the house, and finally barricaded 
poor Mr. Stillwell in his room and read the riot act. 
If it hadn’t been that James, our gardener, was passing 
through the grounds at that moment, I don’t know what 
would have happened.” 

“ Who’s Mr. Stillwell?” cried the chorus. 

Edith looked distinctly annoyed. 

“ You never let me tell things properly. He’s a 
young Harvard man who is spending his holiday in 
New York among the poor, studying conditions; he 
came up in charge.” 

“ It is always 4 conditions ’ among the poor and ‘ cir- 
cumstances ’ among the wealthy — isn’t it funny?” re- 
marked Helen, passing tea and circulating fudge among 
her guests. “ Go on, Edith. Did Mr. Stillwell profit 
by his investigations ? ” 

“ He got a big bump on his forehead. One of the 
boys playfully hit him with a stone. I had an awful 
time reducing the swelling.” 

“ Oh, you reduced it ? ” again the chorus. 

“ Yes, by cold compresses,” said Edith serenely. 
“ Don’t be silly, girls ; a regular trained nurse never 
thinks of anything but the emergency. At any rate, 
64 


HELEN ORMESBY 

after that night’s frolic Father decided that boys were 
not in my line.” 

“ It’s a wise father who knows his own child,” ob- 
served Josephine in her quiet way. “ What next, 
dearie ? ” 

“ The cottage was too battered for any 4 next.’ I 
decided not to direct my philanthropy that way. Crip- 
pled children haven’t that destructive habit — Mr. Still- 
well agrees with me.” 

“ Experience is a great teacher,” said Ruth, with a 
wise shake of her head. “ Mr. Stillwell seemed to agree 
with you wonderfully.” 

“What’s become of young Mr. Gayle?” asked 
Sylvia. 

“ At present he’s my head man,” said Helen, as she 
launched into a description of her summer’s work, while 
the girls listened eagerly. “You see,” she wound up, 
“ as I’m to be the financial head of this movement, I 
•want to make and save as much as I can, for we’re go- 
ing to come out on top at the end of the year.” 

“ All but me. I’ll be a pancake at the very bottom. 
I see my finish,” groaned Josephine. 

“ Never mind, old Mozart, I’ll boost you up,” said 
Ruth consolingly. 

“ There won’t be much chance for boosting,” said 
Helen decidedly. “We’ve got to learn to creep first, 
and then to stand alone. Remember, we are still the 
4 We are Seven Club,’ 'and I’m still the President.” 

44 By unanimous vote,” said Elsie. 

44 Then behold the schedule I’ve mapped out, and I 
trust the members will follow to the letter.” 

She went over to her desk and took out a folded 
document. 


65 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ With amendments ? ” queried Sylvia, the wary. 

“ Of course, it can’t go into effect except on yote, 
regular club rules, you know.” 

“ Read it to us,” suggested Alice. 

“ IVe made copies for each one of you. It’s too 
complicated to go into details. I’ll read some of the 
headings : 


HOURS FOR RISING 


Week days 

. 6.30 A.M. 

Sundays 

• 7 

BREAKFAST SERVED 

Week days 

. 8.30 A.M. 

Sundays 

• 9 

LUNCHEON SERVED 

Week days 

. 1 P.M. 

Sundays 

. 1.30 “ 


DINNER SERVED 

Week days 7 P.M. 

Sundays 6.30 “ 

DUTIES FOR THE SEVEN EACH DAY 

One to the kitchen, under instruction and guidance 
of Ann. Two for upstairs work under Phyllis. Two 
for downstairs work under Mary. One to help Bridget 
in the laundry. One to do mending. 


“ You see, that apportions work to all of us in a 
general way for all the days. Does it sound too heavy ? ” 
“ N-no,” said Edith doubtfully; “ but I never washed 
a pocket handkerchief in my life.” 

“ I scarcely think Bridget will let you do it now, but 
the art of ironing is a fine one, and Bridget is an artist. 

66 





I’ll read some of the headings. 































. 
















































I 































































































































































































































































































































HELEN ORMESBY 


To be able in any emergency to launder a blouse or a 
tablecloth or some necessary article is something, let me 
tell you. We girls are apt to wear our clothes care- 
lessly. When they need pressing we must learn not to 
call on the servants, but to do the work ourselves. As 
for the mending — ” 

“Oh, that’s the easiest job of all!” cried Sylvia. 
“ Anybody can mend ! ” 

“ Wait and see ! ” laughed Helen. “ Phyllis is the 
mender of the family, and quick and skillful as she is, 
she’s never through. Indeed, that’s such an elastic de- 
partment that any one who has any spare time can 
drop in and help.” 

“ Might a worm inquire if there’s any spare time 
marked on the schedule ? ” asked Alice. 

“ Loads of it ; for instance, the one whose turn it is 
to help in the kitchen is under Ann’s instruction for 
only an hour, three times a day, the rest of her time is 
her own. And one thing, girls, we must always leave a 
margin of a few moments to lay aside our housemaid’s 
gowns before each meal. No matter how strenuous our 
work may be, we must always be freshly and daintily 
dressed. I don’t want Mother to detect a single creak in 
our working machinery.” 

“ Talking of clothes, I haven’t any,” said Sylvia. 
“ My first afternoon out will be devoted to the dress- 
maker and milliner.” 

Helen tapped the speaker on the head with the 
folded document. “ You’ll find in here a set of rules 
debarring outside dressmaking and millinery, and by 
this time next year there’s nothing in those lines we 
won’t be able to do.” 

“ But— ” 

“ My dear, that was mother’s ‘ clincher ’ in the tus- 
67 


HELEN ORMESBY 


sle to get you here. We are all going to learn to trim 
our own hats and make our own dresses.” 

A groan broke from the twins, Josephine clasped 
her hands tragically over her violin, Edith lifted pained 
blue eyes to Heaven, but Sylvia stopped to think. 

“ Not a bad plan, all things considered. Dressmak- 
ing is a very superior accomplishment.” 

“ And as for millinery,” declared Ruth, “ any one 
who writes a story can trim a hat. Eve done it. In 
story-telling one must have a foundation on which to 
throw one’s fancies; in millinery one must have a foun- 
dation on which to sew one’s fancies. That’s about the 
gist of it. The mind works the same in both cases.” 

As usual, the girls laughed at her sally, but Ruth 
generally hit the nail on the head. Unlike the others, 
she had been brought up in the freedom of out-of-doors, 
and had been forced to do many more practical things 
because her father’s ranch was so remote, it was hard 
to get things from outside. So she and her mother had 
learned many little arts which were to stand her in 
good stead now. 

“ We’ll be allowed to wear the clothes we have, 
won’t we ? ” asked Elsie plaintively. 

“ Of course, you stupid child, one has to wear some- 
thing. It takes time to learn, you know.” 

“ Better wear the gowns you have than try on oth- 
ers that you know not of,” extemporized Sylvia, thought- 
fully munching her last piece of fudge. “ Is that all, 
Captain ? What’s the next move ? ” 

“ To unpack our trunks. Some familiar bumping 
through the house warns me that they have come. 
Phyllis, I know, will feel defrauded, she loves to un- 
pack trunks, but she’ll be on hand to help and show us. 

68 


HELEN ORMESBY 


I own I never did it in my life before. I used to bribe 
one of the maids at College.” 

“ So did I. I always brought a last year’s party- 
dress for Bessie, and she always found it in the bot- 
tom,” said Edith. 

“ I’m afraid we’ve been a lazy lot,” sighed Josephine. 

“ Well, we’re here to take the cure. Does it sound 
so very bad ? ” asked Helen anxiously. 

“No, indeed!” declared Alice. “Only I am so 
afraid we’ll all be disappointed and not accomplish half 
of what we set out to do.” 

“ Don’t croak ! If we accomplish half it will be 
something. Our cue to-night is to be dressed and ready 
to receive Mother and Father when they arrive in time 
for dinner.” 

“ My idea,” said Josephine thoughtfully, “ is never 
to look farther than the next thing to do, then we won’t 
see the mountains until we come to them.” 

“Bravo!” cried Helen. “Now play to us and 
everything will look easy.” 

It was a new Josephine who took her violin from its 
case as if it was some dearly loved child. The tall, 
slight figure bent and swayed as the music led her, and 
the flickering firelight in the fast darkening room cast 
dim, mysterious shadows as she played. The girls were 
quick to feel the spell, and Helen, from the depths of 
the lounge where she had flung herself to listen, fell to 
wondering what would be the outcome of this novel 
experiment. 

She had fastened upon her young shoulders the 
heavy load of a great responsibility. She watched the 
girls’ faces in the flickering light, brave, fair young 
faces like her own, and fearlessly willing to follow her. 
69 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Yes, she would succeed, if only to prove to her father 
that she had a clear business head, to her mother that 
she had executive ability, and to other people that she 
knew something more than Higher Mathematics. A 
little sigh escaped her. Then she smiled and fell a-dream- 
ing, while the tender, plaintive tones of the violin filled 
the room. 


CHAPTER V 


B -RR ! ” went the alarm clock in Helen’s room. 
“ B-rr, b-rr, b-rr ! ” went three other alarm clocks 
in the rooms upstairs ; simultaneously, seven 
heads popped up from their pillows, and seven hitherto* 
recumbent forms sat upright and rubbed their fourteen 
eyes; fourteen feet were hastily thrust into the four- 
teen waiting slippers, seven dressing-gowns were 
donned, and then complete wakefulness being estab- 
lished, the silence was broken. Helen ran upstairs with 
some papers in her hands. 

“ Here, girls, are your duties for the week. We’re 
to turn and turn about, you know. Being hostess, it’s 
my duty to brave the lion in her den. Ann arrived in 
time for dinner last night, so I’ll take off the edge of her 
temper. Ann wouldn’t hurt a kitten, but she growls 
dreadfully. To-day’s my kitchen day. I’m wonder- 
ing who’ll prove the favorite below stairs. Half an 
hour for morning toilets. Au revoir, my fellow- work- 
ers. Phyllis and Mary will tap at your doors at seven 
sharp, or, better still, suppose we all assemble in my 
room and go our different ways,” and Helen hurried 
on. 

There was much subdued talk as the girls dressed 
in their blue uniforms, and the murmur of it came once 
in a while to Mrs. Ormesby, who had been awakened by 
the unusual sound of the alarm in Helen’s room. 

“ I suppose I’m excited, ” she said to her husband, 
7i 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“but I’m as eager as Helen, to see how everything is 
going to work; I’d love to be up and busy with the 
others, girls do have such a lot of fun. ” 

“ You’re nothing but an overgrown girl yourself, ” 
said Mr. Ormesby. “ You’d mortally offend Helen if 
you lifted a finger. Think what a welcome we had last 
night. My dear, paid servants could never have given 
the radiance to the house that shone from it as we drove 
up, and those seven fresh young things, in their dainty 
evening gowns, were a sight ‘ for sair e’en, ’ weren’t 
they ? ” 

“ It’s what the place needs, and what it shall have as 
long as Helen is young — young spirits about it. It has 
been so empty for the four long years. ” 

“ It may be emptier still some day, our girl is grow- 
ing up, and a very attractive girl she is too, let me tell 
you. ” 

“ Oh, I know, ” sighed Mrs. Ormesby, “ but Helen’s 
too full of many things to think of that quite yet. ” 

“ They all do in time, my lady, you were not as old 
as Helen, when — ” 

“ Times have changed, ” and Mrs. Ormesby blushed 
prettily in the subdued light. “ My education was a 
simpler matter, you see. Helen has her voice yet to 
consider before a husband can come on the horizon. 
How beautifully she sang to Josephine’s obligato last 
night. ” 

“ To say nothing of your own piano accompaniment. 
You must brush up your music, Marian. You play too 
well to let these girls put you to shame. ” 

“ Oh, I feel half my age already, bless the children ! ” 
Meanwhile the “ children, ” booted and spurred, were 
ready for their tasks. Edith and Ruth, guided by 
Phyllis, went about the upstairs housework; Josephine 
72 


HELEN ORMESBY 


and Elsie went downstairs with Mary, to the dining- 
room, and while that experienced damsel swept off the 
front steps and the sidewalk, they whisked their dusters 
with increasing skillfulness. Alice had been detailed for 
the laundry, but as Bridget wanted no help until after 
breakfast, she and Sylvia settled down in Helen’s room 
with a big basket of mending, while Helen, with a timid- 
ity which was almost painful, descended to the kitchen. 

“ Here I am, Ann, ” she said, hesitating at the door, 
for judging by what she saw of Ann’s broad back, the 
time did not seem propitious. 

“Oh, is it you, Miss Helen? Sure an’ I thought 
you’d be lavin’ me a few days for reddin’ up. I’m not 
fixed for company yet, such a kitchen, an’ not a pot fit 
to put me hand into ! Yez didn’t give even a ‘ lick an’ a 
promise ’ down here, I bet. ” 

“ Why, no, ” said Helen, “ we thought — ” 

“ Oh, it’s always the kitchen that can take care of 
itself, ” said Ann testily. 

“ But I’m ready to help now, ” put in Helen mildly. 

“ Oh, go ’long wid yer ! beggin’ your pardon, Miss 
Helen, you’ll be in my way, an’ me in a hurry to get the 
breakfast. ” 

A year ago Helen would have fled for her life, now 
she held her ground firmly. 

“ See here, Ann,” she answered quietly, “ you know 
this won’t do at all. I’m glad I happened to come down 
first, instead of sending one of the young ladies, be- 
cause, ” went on Helen, not heeding the smothered snort 
her last words provoked, “ I know in the end you are 
going to turn just as nice as you can be and teach us 
everything we want to learn. Now where shall I begin, 
what shall I do first ? ” 

“ Get a half a dozen dish towels out of that deep 

73 


HELEN ORMESBY 


drawer in the table, ” commanded Ann in her gruffest 
tones, which not even the wisest would have called yield- 
ing, “ an’ hang 'em on those rods over the sink. ” 

Helen accepted the terms of capitulation, and meekly 
obeyed. 

“Take that bowl and peel them potatoes, they're to 
be b’iled and hashed up for breakfast. That’s about the 
best thing to trust you with just at first. There ain’t 
nothin’ can spile a potato, not even a bad cook. Here, 
don’t you touch ’em with a steel knife, a silver-plated 
one's better, ’twon’t stain your hands. Cut the pairin’s 
thin, for goodness sake! I ain’t goin’ to waste things in 
my kitchen at this late day,” and having established 
Helen, with her bowl of potatoes in a sunny corner of 
the kitchen, Ann again turned her back. 

Helen pared deftly and quickly. 

“ They are ready, ” she announced in a few moments, 
such a very short time indeed, that Ann wheeled round 
in astonishment. 

“ Put ’em on,” she said briefly. 

“ How ? ” queried the girl. 

“ In a saucepan, cover ’em with water and throw 
in some salt. ” 

“ Do they have to soak that way ? ” 

“ For goodness’ sake, no, you light a fire under 'em 
and they cook till they’re soft enough to stick through 
with a fork. ” 

There was withering sarcasm in Ann’s tone, Helen 
bent under it. “ Yes, I see, ” she said in a subdued tone 
and accomplished the feat without further accident. 

“ I don’t have to stand by and watch it the whole 
time, do I ? ” she ventured. 

“ Can you think of two things to onct ? ” asked Ann. 

74 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Why, yes, I’ve often had to think of a good deal 
more.” 

“ Then chop up this here parsley,” and Ann shoved 
a plate of beautiful green sprigs toward her. 

Helen’s hands flew nimbly; she was on her mettle 
now, everything depended on Ann’s first impressions. 
The parsley finished, she demanded another job, and 
before an hour had passed, Ann forgot to growl or ques- 
tion, while Helen beat and stirred and sifted and mixed 
to her heart’s content, Ann’s eye ever watchful, guiding 
her inexperience. 

“ I have no idea how much depended on the proper 
way to mix things, you seem to know just what to put 
in first,” she said admiringly. 

“ You’ve got to learn your letters before you can 
read, I guess. Well, it’s the same in cooking. I couldn’t 
bile a egg proper when I started, now it would take 
a whole barnyard to stump me I must say,” and Ann 
folded her arms for the space of a minute, with pardon- 
able pride. 

“ I suppose I could boil an egg,” said Helen thought- 
fully. 

“ Not if you had the sieve of a head that I did,” said 
Ann, thawing into reminiscence. “ I wasn’t more than 
a slip of a girl when I went to my first place, dear me, 
dear me ! ” she sighed. “ It was a young married couple, 
and they was beginning life very small, in a tiny flat. I 
was all the maid they had, but all they wanted in such a 
box of a place; the young lady wasn’t much older than 
me, but she knew more about cookin’ and was very 
‘ bossy ’ I must say, which made me mad. One day she 
says to me, ‘ Ann, I’m goin’ to have hard boiled eggs for 
the salad dressin’ to-night. Can you boil an egg right? ’ 

75 


6 


HELEN ORMESBY 


* Sure ! ’ I said, I was that mad. 4 Very well, have a 
couple ready for me when I come home this afternoon. 
It’s your day out,’ she says, ‘ so just set them aside on 
the stove, where I’ll be sure to find them.’ Well, I 
put them eggs in a saucepan and set ’em to bilin’ on the 
gas stove, and then I clean forgot ’em and went out. 
When I started for home about six o’clock it come over 
me like a clap of thunder, and the minute I set my 
foot in the house, I knowed what had happened, the smell 
of them eggs burnt close to the pot, most knocked me 
down. I rushed upstairs, my lady was home, and the 
flat looked like there’d been a fire, choked up with smoke 
till you could cut through it with a knife. I got my first 
walkin’ papers that night, I tell you, and my last, I quit 
gallivantin’ from that time. I sez to myself : ‘ Ann, if 
you must have followers, give up cookin’;’ you can’t do 
both, but remember, cookin’ pays the best.’ I’ve stuck to 
it ever since, Miss Helen, and though I’ve got a mint 
of money saved up, enough to buy me a nice man,” said 
Ann complacently, “ you lose the cravin’ for ’em when 
you get my size.” 

Helen bent low over the flour-sifter to hide the 
laughter in her eyes. 

“ I thought all good cooks made fine wives,” she 
said. 

“ There’s some cooks as ain’t cut out for it at all, 
at all. That’s not sayin’ that a good wife can’t get to 
be a fine cook if she tries, I was meanin’ that there’s 
no money in it, if you’re married, and there is if you 
ain’t.” Ann emphasized her philosophy by two or three 
final and professional slaps to her dough, before she 
cut it out into pretty heart-shaped forms. “ There now, 
Miss Helen, breakfast’s ready to serve. P’raps you’ll 
learn, there’s no tellin,’ you ain’t sloppy, and you haven’t 
76 


HELEN ORMESBY 


hindered much, but the Lord help me when the others 
comes along ! You can’t all be alike ; there’ll be some fool. 
I guess,” and something like a smile stole round the 
stern corners of her mouth. “ Lunching is at one,” she 
called, as Helen was about to go, “ and I’m not sayin’ 
much, but I’m used to havin’ help about here to straighten 
and clean up after me. Them as helps with the table 
and the parlor had best look in here a bit every day; 
Mary herself lends a hand when there’s dinners or any- 
thing special.” 

“ Very well,” replied Helen, “ I’ll bring the others 
with me when I come for lunch.” 

“ Ann didn’t know it,” she said, when she talked it 
over with the others, “ but I left that kitchen with flying 
banners and the blowing of trumpets.” 

When the “ Seven,” rosy and eager, trooped in, 
hungry, for their breakfast, they gave the great room 
just the touch of living color that it needed. Mr. 
Ormesby cast aside his newspaper, Mrs. Ormesby nodded 
and smiled her brightest, from behind the tall silver 
coffee-urn, and the girls described their first morning’s 
experience in a way that sent the laughter ringing to the 
rafters of the room. 

And so, with gay good humor, the game began. A 
very serious game it proved in many instances, for the 
girls grew more and more earnest over it; they were a 
very plucky set, and the determination to “ make good ” 
on this venture, never weakened for a moment, no mat- 
ter what ups and downs they had. 

“ IVe made up my mind to one thing !” declared 
Sylvia, at one of their “ tea talks ” at the close of the 
first week. “ I’m never going to speak of my failures.” 

“ Poor dear ! she’ll grow quite dumb I’m afraid,” said 
Ruth commiseratingly, whereat they all laughed, for 

77 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Sylvia’s many blunders had become a byword, but there 
was a streak of indomitable purpose in this gay little 
society girl, that none suspected, not even Sylvia 
herself. 

She had more misadventures, during that first trial 
week, than all of the “ Seven ” put together ; she had 
proved to Ann, during her day in the kitchen, that a bad 
cook can spoil anything, even potatoes, for she had for- 
gotten all about them till the pungent smell of their 
burning brought down the wrath of the kitchen goddess ; 
she beat up a cake under Ann’s directions, but she for- 
got to put in the baking powder, and her spirits sank 
to the level of the flat thing she took out of the oven; 
she broke three bowls, as they slipped through her 
clumsy fingers, spilling their contents upon Ann’s immac- 
ulate floor; in short she went out in silent degradation, 
from the presence of that potentate. She undertook to 
do the marketing one day, the girls all took turns, and 
raised a whirlwind above and below stairs when she 
ordered home, from the butcher’s, four dozen chops 
instead of four pounds, as she had been told. She put 
castor oil in the salad dressing by mistake, when Mary 
entrusted her with that delicate operation. 

“ It was the most natural thing in the world,” ex- 
plained Sylvia. “ The two bottles were standing side by 
side, and I took the handiest.” 

“ But there was Castor Oil marked on the outside, 
Miss,” expostulated Mary. “ I had just laid the bottle 
down for a minute while I answered the bell, I was 
going to throw it out.” 

“ How was I to know that ? ” demanded Sylvia, de- 
fending herself in a backhanded way. 

“ I didn’t think anybody could mistake the sweet-oil 
bottle,” said Mary, with withering scorn in her respectful 
78 


HELEN ORMESBY 


tones, as she poured the sickening mixture down the 
sink in the butler’s pantry. 

“ I’m only thankful that it didn’t go to the table,” said 
Sylvia devoutly, but she felt the burden of her short- 
comings, nevertheless. Dusting terrified her, her pretty 
hands, accustomed to nothing more arduous, than adorn- 
ing her own attractive little person, were not to be trusted 
among the priceless bric-a-brac, and after a terrifying 
experience of brushing a costly Sevres vase off of a 
high mantel-shelf, she confined herself to the heavy 
furniture and the bronzes, with a meekness not suspected 
in the high-spirited Sylvia. 

“ Another week of such damages, and I go home,” 
she said decidedly. 

“ Poor old Sylvia, she’ll find her niche some day, see 
if she don’t,” said Helen hopefully. “ We’ve all got to 
have our downs; your’s just fell in a bunch, that’s all.” 

“ 1 wonder where my niche will be,” came in de- 
jected tones from the depth of the sofa pillows, where 
Sylvia had buried her disconsolate head. 

“ That’s just Sylvia’s talk,” said Edith placidly, 
“ since we’ve been rooming together I’ve found out that 
Sylvia’s only frothy on the top, there’s good stuff be- 
low.” 

“ Thanks, dear chum,” said Sylvia mournfully, “ I 
suppose there must be something beneath, though it will 
take a microscope to find it.” 

“ Nonsense ! ” exclaimed Alice. “ Girls, you should 
see her mend and darn ! Why Phyllis brought her an 
armful on that first day, and her fingers just flew, 
it was positively inspiring. I mangled and bungled over 
everything; she’s a born genius.” 

“ Oh, I could always sew,” said Sylvia indifferently, 
“ just because I didn’t have to do it I like it I suppose.” 

79 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ But you’ll have to do it now,” said Helen. “ Our 
sewing- room opens next week, Miss Pierce has been off 
on a holiday, and all who want clothes, prepare to make 
them then.” 

“ I never made a dress in my life, except doll’s 
clothes,” declared Sylvia. 

“ The best sort of models. I prophecy you’ll become 
a modiste; your creative faculty may lie along that use- 
ful line,” predicted Ruth. 

“ I hope it won’t lie along the line of my destructive 
faculty,” sighed Sylvia, whose spirits were still weighed 
down by the broken vase. 

“ Have a cup of tea,” said Edith cheerfully, “ and 
here are some cookies I made myself. I begged a dozen 
or so from Ann to celebrate the occasion; help your- 
selves, girls. They’re hard to bite, but they’ll melt in 
your mouth if you give them time.” 

“ A month would soften them nicely,” observed 
Helen, cheerfully risking her good teeth. 

“ Dip them in your tea,” suggested Elsie, “ the com- 
bination isn’t bad.” 

“ It certainly saves time and trouble,” remarked Jo- 
sephine. “ You build firmly, Edith dearest, if you had 
plastered your little experimental cottage with cookies, 
those bad boys would never have broken through.” 

“ Oh, Ann says I’ll improve in time,” said Edith hope- 
fully. 

“ Yes, time’s the thing,” and Helen laughed. “ I said 
a month,” and poor Sylvia forgot her woes to laugh with 
the others. 

There was one enjoyable bit of the day’s work, and 
that was answering the front door-bell when John was 
on duty on the box beside Jerry, and Mary and Phyllis 
otherwise employed, and if by chance it was the loud 
80 


HELEN ORMESBY 


insistent ring and accompanying whistle of the postman, 
there was quite a flutter among the blue gowns as to 
who should be first at the door. Mrs. Ormesby had 
provided a pretty mailbag which they kept in the hollow 
seat of the great carved hall chair, and the postmen, who 
always took a lively interest in the houses along their 
route, usually delivered enough mail at the Ormesby 
mansion to quite fill the fat little bag. 

On this special morning Elsie’s sunny southern smile 
warmed the heart of the susceptible young postman, who 
made the first round, and he left with her a generous 
bag full. Elsie sat down on the long settee and looked 
over the spoils, then she slung the bag over her shoulder, 
postmanlike, and went about delivering. 

“ Six for you, Mrs. Ormesby,” she called, tapping at 
the boudoir door. 

“ Come in, dear, and stay awhile, there’s no hurry, 
is there?” 

“ I’m not sure — I caught my name on several de- 
licious-looking envelopes, but I’m honest and they are 
at the bottom of the pile. No, I won’t stay, thank you, 
the others are clamoring like mad things. Even Sylvia 
gets a letter from her mother every day, though she is 
right here in New York. You always look so sweet and 
cozy in here that I have to flee temptation.” Elsie 
stooped and kissed the slim white detaining hand, and 
was gone like a flash. 

“ Two for you, Ruth, one a regular cowboy fist’ 
Have you an admirer in a khaki shirt and a gray som- 
brero ? ” 

“ I think there are about twenty who would die for 
me,” said Ruth modestly, “but calm yourself, this is 
from Allen, my seventeen-year-old brother, the other is 
from Father.” 


81 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ ‘He's the fellow that signs the checks,' ” sang Sylvia 
from the other side of the bed; she and Ruth were 
making them together. 

“ Of course," said Ruth, “ Father's very generous. 
There’s always a moment of uplift before I break the 
seal, during which time my needs grow prodigiously, 
then I look at the check and — and reduce the needs — and 
then I enjoy Father’s letter; he’s always so chummy and 
nice," and Ruth plumped herself down upon the un- 
finished bed to devour the home news. 

Sylvia received several crested envelopes. “ The 
‘ Might-have-beens,’ ’’ she sighed. “ These are all my 
debutante contemporaries; they’re giving teas — well, I 
don’t envy them that, but when it comes to giving theater 
parties — " 

“ Mail, mail, Elsie," called Helen’s blithe voice. 
“ Who’s talking of theater parties ? We’ll have plenty 
ourselves later on, and the opera — Ye gods! I’ll rifle 
that bag if you keep us poor patient mortals waiting much 
longer.” 

“ There are two for Edith," said Elsie, tumbling the 
whole pile on to a table, “ three for Josephine, and two 
for you, Helen, one’s from the College. How funny! 
it isn’t time for the Alumnae notices — the rest of the 
bunch are Alice’s and mine. Come on, little twin, we’ll 
break our seals together. I wish these foolish people 
would stop sending letters to The Misses Barton. I 
don’t believe even our future husbands would dare to 
propose to us separately ! ’’ and Elsie departed to find her 
sister. 

Helen took her letters to her own room; one was from 
Hugh, a jolly, foreign-looking scrawl, full of the dear 
boy’s life and fun; the other brought a slight color to 
her face as she opened it slowly. 

82 


HELEN ORMESBY 


My Dear Miss Helen [it began in the firm plain writ- 
ing she knew so well] : 

Rumors have reached the Faculty of the experiment 
you and your friends are making this year, and we 
have all been very much interested. Knowing the unusual 
hopes and aspirations of the “We are Seven Club,” I 
confess I am not surprised that they have not disbanded, 
and I hope that during the holidays, which I always 
spend in New York with my mother, you will allow me 
to call and hear more than the meager details which have 
come to our ears. 

You have always been so kind and friendly that I 
am emboldened to put in a plea for a little friend of 
mine, whose infirmity makes it impossible for her to 
earn a living in the usual way. She has been staying 
for the past year with my mother, as she is quite alone, 
but she is very miserable over her dependence. She is 
a skilled milliner, but her lameness has been much 
against her. Now if you or your friends could throw 
work in her hands — something practical that would not 
seem charity — I think you would not regret it, and I 
would be eternally grateful for any help you could give 
the poor little girl. 

With kindest regards, believe me, 

Sincerely your friend, 

Philip Trent. 

P.S. — I do not generally indulge in this sort of 
thing, but I forgot to say my little friend’s name is Rita 
Thornton, though on account of her beautiful bright 
hair and eyes, and a certain quick, vivacious way she 
has of doing things, we often call her Jenny Wren. 

Helen sat in thought for a moment. She was pleased 
that Philip Trent had appealed to her, he was such an 
independent young fellow, and had been, ever since he 
became tutor at the College, three years before. 

The girls had heard something of his history from 
the head professor. His father, a man of great wealth, 

83 


HELEN ORMESBY 


failed suddenly, just after his son’s graduation from 
Princeton. The crash pulled down many with him, and 
the shock was too great for Mr. Trent, whose health was 
poor. He died shortly after, leaving such a bare pittance 
from his wrecked fortune, that his son was forced to 
give up all private ambitions and accept the mathematics 
tutorship that came into his way. He had proved so 
efficient that he was now an instructor at the College, and 
a great favorite with every one, few dreaming of the 
tremendous sacrifice that he had made in giving up the 
study of law, which had been his ambition. The girls all 
admired and respected him, but he was very grave and 
reserved, and it was hard to get beneath the pleasant 
upper crust of him. 

Helen’s voice was the magnet which seemed to draw 
him out of himself, he had a fine ear for music, and the 
mellow, deep notes of this budding contralto gave him 
pleasure; so, little by little a friendship sprang up be- 
tween them. 

To Philip, the girl represented the best in the life 
that he loved; he liked to talk to her of the many in- 
terests and pursuits they had in common, and his manner 
lost much of its reserve as the friendship grew. 

Helen was glad he had written, and as she folded the 
letter, preparatory to going to her mother, she thought 
with elation that it was more than possible that she could 
help the little lame girl. 

“ May I have a confab, Mummie ? ” she paused at 
the open door of the boudoir. 

“ Yes, dear, come in, I’m wanting a confab myself,” 
and Mrs. Ormesby pointed to an open letter with a help- 
less shrug. 

“ Oh, the infants ; they’re crying for the usual do- 
nation, I suppose.” 


84 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Of course, and donations are not in our line this 
year, yet I hate to refuse my poor sick babies, they need 
it so.” 

“ What are they going to do to haul in money this 
time?” 

“ They suggest tableaux and charades, but there’s 
nothing definite settled.” 

Helen’s eyes sparkled. “If there’s one thing in 
which the ‘ Seven ’ excel, it is in getting up tableaux and 
charades ; when are they to be ? ” 

“ During Christmas week, so you see all the dona- 
tions should be turned in at once ; it’s the first time I’ve 
ever had to refuse.” 

Helen pulled a rebellious curl which occasionally es- 
caped from behind her ear. 

“ Why refuse now, why not offer your house and 
your services in getting up the tableaux ? We’ll all pitch 
in and help, and you can always charge more for ad- 
mission into your own house. It’s one of the laws of 
hospitality,” she added quaintly. 

Mrs. Ormesby laughed. “ What a girl you are for 
planning, Helen ! Schemes seem to seethe in your brain, 
but it’s not a bad idea; I’ll talk to your father about it, 
it would certainly ease my mind of a load, and I would 
at least feel that I was doing my duty by the poor dears. 
Now, what have you on foot?” 

Helen read her letter, and Mrs. Ormesby was struck 
by the manly tone of it. 

“ What a nice fellow your young professor seems to 
be,” she said. 

“ He isn’t a professor — yet, but he may be some day, 
he’s so clever. Now what I thought, Mummie, was, that 
we might get little Miss Thornton to come here and 
teach us millinery; we’re all a perfect set of dunces, to 

85 


HELEN ORMESBY 


be sure, but we must have hats, you know, and that’s the 
cheapest way.” Helen then launched into enthusiastic 
“ whys and wherefores,” until her mother promised to 
go with her that very afternoon and call on Mrs. Trent 
and her young protege. 

It was a quiet, unfashionable street where Jerry took 
them, and a big old-fashioned apartment house before 
which the carriage stopped at last. They crawled up in 
a very rickety elevator to the fifth floor, stepping out 
into a tiled marble hallway, brilliant with the sunshine 
streaming from the large windows at the head of the 
stairs. 

A trim colored maid answered their ring and ushered 
them into a room filled with precious bits of furniture 
and rare ornaments, in which both Helen and her mother 
delighted. It was an unusually large room, bright and 
sunny, but fine lace curtains with hangings of heavy 
damask gave to the whole atmosphere a restful, delicate 
glow; then there was the faintest rustle of skirts, and 
Mrs. Trent came toward them with a friendly hand out- 
stretched. 

“ This is very kind of you,” she said, in her gentle, 
high-bred tones. “ My son wrote me that you might 
come, and though I am glad to take some of this visit 
to myself, I am quite sure it is Rita that you would like 
to see.” 

“ It is only a visit hastened,” said Mrs. Ormesby 
pleasantly. “ I’ve been promising Helen to pay this call 
for some time, but her need would brook no delay, and 
you know yourself, Mrs. Trent, what slaves we mothers 
are.” 

“ I think we are pretty apt to hug our chains,” said 
Mrs. Trent smiling. “ I’ve heard a great deal of you 
86 


HELEN ORMESBY 


from my son, Miss Ormesby; he wrote me only yester- 
day of his appeal to you in behalf of poor little Rita.” 

“ I believe Miss Thornton will supply an aching void 
in our existence,” explained Helen. “ You see, Mrs. 
Trent, we’re taking up a great new study this year — 
household economics — though we call it housekeeping.” 

“Yes, I’ve heard; Philip wrote me. It seems to me 
such a practical, splendid idea.” 

“ It embraces dressmaking and millinery, of course, 
among other unknown arts, and unless we have hats our 
heads will not be of the slightest use.” 

“ At least we could go back to Grecian draperies and 
scarfs,” said Mrs. Trent comfortably. “ We might as 
well — ah, here’s Rita ! ” 

Helen rose to pull forward a chair for the lame girl, 
who came in leaning heavily on her crutches, a pale, deli- 
cate little creature, with the aureole of rippling golden 
hair, as Philip Trent described it, and the most wonder- 
ful deep blue eyes that changed with every emotion. 
They grew almost black with excitement and eager in- 
terest when Helen drew her off into a corner and ex- 
plained the situation. 

“ Oh, I should so dearly love to teach you ! ” she 
cried, clasping her hands. “ There’s so little I can do, 
you see. It was good of Philip to think of me, he is 
always thinking of people.” 

“ My dear,” said Mrs. Ormesby, “ all the gratitude 
is not on your side; I feel convinced that Helen has 
found a pearl of great price. These girls of ours have 
made an iron rule for this experimental year ; no hats or. 
gowns to be bought outside ; there isn’t one among them 
who has not been pampered by having all the pretty 
things she wanted. Now, whatever they want, they must 

87 


HELEN ORMESBY 


make, so your hands will be full if you teach them to put 
sense on their heads, as well as in them. Millinery is a 
high art if it accomplishes that these benighted days.” 

Rita smiled brightly, a smile that was like sunshine 
itself. 

“ I think you grasp the idea, Mrs. Ormesby. So 
few people use their minds in selecting a hat, the fash- 
ion is set alike upon the heads of sixteen and sixty, it 
makes no difference how appropriate or inappropriate.” 

Helen laughed. “ Come, then, and teach us common 
sense, and save the twins from being extinguished; at 
present they are wearing hats that look like snuffers, 
obliterating not only their heads but their necks.” 

There was a laugh at this, and the talk became more 
general; but when Helen and her Mother rose to go, it 
was well understood that Rita Thornton was head of 
the millinery department, and would be at her post in 
the sewing-room twice a week from two to four o'clock, 
and mother and daughter drove off well pleased with 
their afternoon. 

“ Isn’t she sweet?” asked Helen, as Jerry turned his 
horses’ heads toward the park. 

“ Who?” 

“ Why, little Miss Thornton, though, of course, Mrs. 
Trent is delightful. What a lovely face, Mother, and 
what glorious eyes ; she must have been a tearing beauty 
in her youth.” 

“ There is something more than beauty in that face, 
dear; it quite puts me to shame to see how nobly she 
bears real poverty after all the luxury of the past; the 
very room shows traces of vanished splendor.” 

“ Doesn’t it ? I love those dear wiggly ‘ leggy ’ 
things. Mr. Trent says they are really old, and could 
tell whole volumes of history, and his mother has it all 


HELEN ORMESBY 


at her finger-tips. I mean to see more of her. How 
good she is to that little girl ! I saw you talking to- 
gether ; did she tell you about her ? ” 

“ Yes, Rita’s father was one of the sufferers in the 
Trent failure. He died soon after, and Mrs. Trent in- 
sisted on taking the poor homeless girl right into her 
household ; but the independent little creature moped and 
pined, until her son Philip thought of writing to you.” 

“ I believe she’ll prove our salvation ; she really seems 
to understand the psychology of a hat.” 

“ Well, I don’t,” laughed her mother. “ I feel, with 
the author of ‘ Pigs is Pigs,’ that hats is hats.” 

“Join our millinery class and you’ll find they’ll tell 
a far more eloquent tale.” 

“ No, I’ll wait developments,” said the ever-cautious 
Mrs. Ormesby, as Jerry stopped at their own door. 


CHAPTER VI 


T HERE’S some one for you at the telephone, Miss 
Helen.” Mary paused at the door of the sew- 
ing-room and looked in with much interest. It 
was the millinery opening, and the place was strewn 
with all the implements of the trade — hats, hat-frames, 
silks, velvets, ribbons, flowers and feathers, while the 
“ Seven ” were gathered with respectful awe at the feet 
of little Miss Thornton, who was demonstrating her first 
lesson by making a hat for Mrs. Ormesby. Helen had a 
frame in her lap and was busily occupied in subduing 
the antics of an obstreperous piece of wire when Mary 
delivered the message. 

“ Alas ! this was the crucial moment ! All right, Mary, 
I’m coming. Dear me, Miss Thornton! after all my 
trouble; I had just grabbed that wire by its little black 
tail when I had to let it go.” Helen tumbled her things 
from her lap to the work-table. “ I won’t be a moment,” 
she said, but it was quite ten minutes before she re- 
turned, looking much amused. 

“ It was Kitty Grey, Mr. Gayle’s little niece,” she ex- 
plained. “ They moved in from the country last Satur- 
day, and the poor child is at her wits’ end ; what with the 
tiny flat, and the arrival of some new furniture, and 
Will’s teasing, and the Prince barking his disapproval, 
and her uncle being at the College, her reason seems tot- 
tering. She said Uncle Fred told her to telephone over 
here and ask some one, for the love of Mike, to go up 
and save her, and then she quite convulsed me by asking 
who Mike was, anyway; Kitty’s of an inquiring turn of 
90 


HELEN ORMESBY 


mind, you know, and most literal in her sense of humor. 
I told her we were busy, but at four we’d knock off work 
and run up for a while, at least some of us.” 

“ I can’t,” sighed Josephine. “ I have an hour with 
Ann, and another for practicing; I haven’t touched my 
violin for days.” 

“ There’s a bag of stockings hanging from the chan- 
delier in our room,” said Edith. “ I put it there to 
assail my vision, they must all be darned, you know; 
there are more coming — there are always more coming 
— I wish I could go, but you see I can’t.” 

“ I wonder how many undarned stockings there are 
in the world ! ” said Elsie ruminatively. 

“ Rather reflect how many poor wretches hide their 
holes within a deceptive shoe ! I wish / could go,” added 
Sylvia, “ but it’s my afternoon out, and I promised 
Mother and the boys to drop in for a bit of gossip. I’m 
to get back in time to help Mary arrange the dinner- 
table.” 

“ Elsie and I want to wear our lingerie gowns to- 
night, but they are mussed, and Bridget says we must 
press them out ourselves this afternoon,” said Alice. 

“ I had a dozen things to do, but I’m in for shirk- 
ing, if you are, Helen; may I go with you? I feel a 
personal interest in Mr. Gayle and his family ; I can put 
off commencing the greatest novel of the century till to- 
morrow,” said Ruth. “How is this for a beginning?” 
and she held up a frame on which she was building a 
formidable black interlining. “ I confess I can’t evolve 
anything from this — what is your private opinion, Miss 
Thornton ? ” 

“ Why, to me it seems a most promising looking 
skeleton,” said Rita hopefully. 

“ I suppose, when the plot unfolds itself, it will get 
7 91 


HELEN ORMESBY 


more interesting. Am I to have roses or feathers for 
my price de resistance ? ” 

“ That’s a mere matter of taste, the building comes 
first; you’ve only the foundation.” 

“A simple unadorned hat is much less bother than 
a frame ; you’ve only to stick the trimming on, and there 
you are.” Edith looked at her foundation ruefully, and 
shook her head. 

“ Yes, but it’s not nearly so good a primef ; one must 
learn one’s a, b, c’s, you know. Once you can make a 
foundation neatly, you have your hand in, and the pretty 
part comes more naturally.” 

“ I’m afraid we’ll never reach the pretty part, we’re 
so stupid at this,” sighed Josephine. “ I wonder if we’ll 
ever be able to wear the hats we make! ” 

“ I will, if I put mine in the museum next day,” de- 
clared Sylvia. “ I’m really proud of mine, anyway.” 

And well she might be, for the pretty hands that 
fumbled over the kitchen work and broke costly vases, 
plied the needle with truly feminine skill; she had imi- 
tated all of Rita’s professional turns and twists with 
astonishing results. The twins followed close on her 
heels, and Ruth was not far behind, but Helen, Joseph- 
ine, and Edith struggled clumsily. 

“ We’re too original,” said Helen, sucking her rasped 
thumbs at the close of the lesson. “ The others are dis- 
tinctly imitative; we three have souls above hats. I 
know you’ve separated the chaff from the wheat, Miss 
Thornton ; are we quite hopeless ? ” 

“ Dear me, no ! Not artists, of course, like the oth- 
ers, but you’ll learn,” said Rita, beginning to put away 
her things. 

“ Ruth and I will take you across the Park. We are 
going to see Kitty, and Mother said I might have the 
92 


HELEN ORMESBY 


carriage,” and the two girls hurried off for their hats 
and jackets, while the others chatted with Rita, whose 
eyes sparkled, and whose cheeks glowed with the pleas- 
ure and excitement of this first day. To feel that she was 
really earning money, and that her skilled fingers could 
at last do the work for which she had sought so long, 
was something indeed to be happy over; she felt the 
kindly atmosphere all about her, and it warmed her heart. 
She little knew that the carriage had been specially or- 
dered to take her home, and that under one pretext or 
another it would always be there on her afternoons ; she 
only knew that life had suddenly grown very sweet and 
full to her, and that she owed it all to Philip Trent. So 
it was a happy, tired, and thankful little Rita who, lean- 
ing on her crutches, waved to the girls as they drove 
away from her door. 

“ We’ll send Jerry back when we turn the corner,” 
said Helen. “ It’s only a few steps to Kitty’s, and if it 
grows too dark, why, Fred can see us home. Yes, I call 
him Fred,” noting Ruth’s look of surprise, “ he’s only a 
boy, and we’ve been thrown together so much this sum- 
mer,” she added, in such a superior tone that Ruth 
laughed. 

“ I daresay ‘ the boy ’ is older than you are, Miss 
Methuselah.” 

“ Yes, I suppose so, now that you come to speak of 
it, but it doesn’t seem so,” reflected Helen. “ There’s 
something particularly boyish about Fred, even with his 
ready-made family. This is the street, and I believe 
they are to be found somewhere under the roof of that 
big building on the corner.” 

A tiny elevator whisked them skyward, stopping at 
the eighth floor, and Helen pressed the bell on the door 
indicated. There was a scamper, a bark, a smothered 

93 


HELEN ORMESBY 


exclamation, and Kitty, flushed but triumphant, threw 
open the door. She gave a little exclamation, flung her 
arms around Helen, and extended a cordial hand to 
Ruth. 

“Will wanted to open the door,” she explained, as 
the ruffled head and flushed face of her vanquished 
brother made its appearance just behind her, “ but I 
conquered for once — I tickled him on his knee-joints, 
he’s a baby in my hands then; his knees are his weak 
points, like Achilles’ heel,” she added, airing her Greek 
myths. “ Come in — come in — single file, please — two 
can’t turn around together in this box of a hall; once 
you reach the parlor, you’re safe. Don’t hit up against 
things,” she remarked as she led the way; “ you’re apt 
to get awful bruises if you forget. I’m all black and 
blue myself, but that’s as much from Will as anything 
else; he jumps at me from dark corners, and I bump 
into anything handy. Now, here we are in a nutshell.” 

She stood on the parlor doorsill, and, reaching out, 
flung open the doors on either side. 

“Uncle Fred’s bedroom and mine; Will, of course, 
has to sleep with Uncle Fred, there’s nowhere else for 
him.” 

“Nowhere else!” echoed Will, boiling over with 
wrath. “Humph! if Uncle Fred had been an Aunt — 
you'd have sung a different song, miss.” 

“ But he isn’t,” said matter-of-fact Kitty, “ and there 
you are ! Here, Prince, Prince ! come speak to the ladies. 
Isn’t he a beauty? look at his ears and his lovely eyes, 
and see how he’s grown. Uncle Fred says he’ll soon 
be big enough to take the whole of this place on his back 
and walk off with it. Sit down, sir, shake hands, there — 
now bring me a letter.” 

The puppy looked around, spied a newspaper on the 

94 


HELEN ORMESBY 


floor, made a dash for it, and brought it to Kitty in his 
mouth. “ He’s just as nice to Will,” she added loyally. 

“ Better,” growled Will. “ He knows a newspaper 
from a letter when I show him off.” 

“ I only wanted to show you that he’d fetch and 
carry,” said Kitty. “ He couldn’t find a letter, so he took 
the next best thing, that’s all.” 

“ Sensible dog,” said Ruth. “If we all did that, 
we’d be much wiser and happier. Now, where shall we 
start to help you ? ” 

Kitty shook her head. “ I’m sure I don’t quite know. 
I wish all the chairs and beds and tables would get up 
and walk into their places. I think,” she said mourn- 
fully, “ we’ll have to hang the chairs to the ceiling, let 
them down in the daytime, and draw them up with pul- 
leys at night. Uncle Fred thinks it a good plan.” 

“ Who’s taking my name in vain ? ” said a voice in 
the doorway. “ Oh, about the chairs ! Yes, Kitty’s 
right, only we’re going to hang them upon the walls like 
pictures, instead of suspending them from the ceilings, 
and label them ‘ Grandfather’s Chair,’ * The Cane-bot- 
tom Chair,’ ‘ The Chair of State,’ and so forth. I thought 
some good Samaritan would look in on Kitty this after- 
noon, but I wasn’t prepared for two,” and he shook 
hands in his hearty way. 

91 Did you have any trouble in getting in with your 
goods and chattels ? ” inquired Helen. 

“ Not the least. You see, the fiat had gone forth ; 
it was ‘ With your trunks and on them,’ for my small 
Spartans, and we came that way, didn’t we, Kit? Not 
like the Countess Somebody or other, who traveled with 
nine trunks and a maid to take care of the trunks, and 
a courier to take care of the maid. We took care of 
ourselves, and a pretty good job we made of it, too.” 

95 


HELEN ORMESBY 

Kitty grew restive. “ This isn’t working,” she said 
severely. 

“ No more it is,” said Ruth, flinging off her hat. 
“ What’s the first thing on the carpet ? ” 

“ There’s no carpet — it’s all rugs — look out, Miss 
Ruth, you’ll trip over them.” 

“ Come along, Will, no drones in this hive. Come 
on, Miss Helen, I’m properly rebuked. Now, if the five 
of us can’t get some order out of this chaos, my name’s 
not Frederick.” 

“ What we have to do,” he explained, while they 
merrily fell to work, “ is to build the interior of these 
rooms in such a way that there’ll be space enough to 
squeeze through between the pieces of furniture. Poor 
little Kit is dizzy with trying to fit in things, but it will 
look quite roomy and palatial after a while, and we’ll 
have the snuggest little home that ever was. Then the 
Kids will get to school in the neighborhood, and the 
Prince will enjoy the society of that unsuspecting maid 
we haven’t captured yet. And then, if some one would 
give the fair Katharine a hint as to how to cook some- 
thing hot for dinner, something that is not boiled eggs 
and toast, Will and I will be eternally grateful. Pri- 
vately, we loathe boiled eggs and toast ; perhaps you two 
ladies have learned other things during your week’s ex- 
perience.” 

“ We’re almost professionals,” declared Helen ; “ we 
had a test luncheon last Saturday. Poor Ann! I felt 
sorry for her, but the seven of us invaded the kitchen, 
seated her in state, where she could direct, and cooked 
the meal. After a moment or two of glum silence, she 
entered into the fun, and was as excited as the youngest 
of us when the luncheon was ready for serving.” 

“ What did you have ? ” asked Kitty. 

9 6 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Let me see ! Ruth, help me if I forget.” 

“ To begin with, I breaded the chops,” said Ruth 
modestly. 

“ That is not the beginning, you know quite well,” 
said Helen. “We served grape-fruit first; that’s a safe 
thing to trust Sylvia with, she’ll never make a profes- 
sional cook, but she’s good about extras, and she makes 
mayonnaise that stands alone, and dresses salads in the 
latest fashion. Oh, dear, you all look so hungry — I hate 
to go on.” 

“ Please do,” said Fred pathetically, “ this is a reg- 
ular Barmecides feast.” 

“ Who was Barmecides? ” demanded Will. 

“ An unfortunate gentleman who was forced to sit 
at a beautifully appointed table and make a dinner out of 
his imagination.” 

“ How ? ” asked Kitty, whose imagination played no 
such riotous tricks. 

“ Well, his cruel host discoursed about the fine din- 
ner, and while his servants passed empty dishes to the 
ravenous guest described their supposed contents so 
vividly that the poor man nearly fainted. Go on, Miss 
Helen.” 

“ We had creamed fish balls and lovely little round 
potatoes with parsley decorations — I made them, with 
home-made bread that Elsie baked, then the breaded 
chops — works of art, I assure you.” 

“ Let me describe them,” broke in Ruth. “ They 
were large and very juicy and tender, and they were 
rolled in bread crumbs and fried to a crisp, delicate 
golden brown.” 

“ Oh, don’t ! ” groaned poor Will, prone upon the 
floor. 

“ Josephine made some rice croquettes to serve with 

9 7 


HELEN ORMESBY 


that. Then came the salad — Sylvia’s little ‘stunt’; it 
was perfectly delicious, eaten with some of Alice’s 
Southern ‘ beat biscuits,’ and Edith brought up the rear 
with baked apples — the finest you ever tasted,” wound 
up Helen, and then she and Ruth leaned back in speech- 
less laughter at the scene before them. Fred had 
slipped down beside his small nephew, both prostrate 
forms with their toes pointing heavenward, while Kitty 
was coiled in a limp heap upon the sofa, apparently in 
a dead faint. 

“ ‘ Give me food for Minnehaha, 

For my dying Minnehaha,’ ” 

quoted Ruth, when she found her voice. 

Fred sat bolt upright. “ Did any one say food ? ” 
he asked in a hushed voice. “ Here, Will, rouse thee, 
rouse thee, man! Rescue is near. Take this bit of sil- 
ver to the nearest butcher-shop and bring back two 
pounds of chops. This ruthless person returns not to 
her home until she hath prepared us some well-breaded 
chops. Miss Helen, we’ll demand mashed potatoes of 
you, and mayonnaise. Will, a head of crisp, tender let- 
tuce from the nearest grocer. Haste, haste, take the 
Prince with you, he hath need of air.” 

“But it’s too early for dinner,” objected Helen; 
“ we have to get back before the real time.” 

“ Had you seen our breakfast you would spare me 
the mention of such a mere figment of the brain as 
time,” he remarked, as the door banged emphatically 
behind Will. 

“ Come to the kitchen,” said Kitty briskly ; “ you 
can start in, I’ll help — I love to, and then I can learn, 
you see. I must know something when we get a cook, 
for I’m to be mistress and sit at the head of the table 
98 


HELEN ORMESBY 


and pour the coffee and tea and go to market before 
school every morning and make the housekeeping money 
last from week to week.” 

Kitty looked very important as she bustled around 
her tiny kitchen. She was a graceful, pretty child of 
fourteen, with the clustering golden curls and deep blue 
eyes of an angel. 

Such fun they had over the simple meal they fixed 
up! When all was ready, Helen and Ruth waited on 
the table, while the food vanished as if by magic, and 
the girls bore off the empty dishes with a look of dis- 
may. 

By six o’clock the breaded chops were things of the 
past, and the girls were getting ready for home. 

“ You shall have a royal escort — the Prince and his 
followers,” said Fred. “ The Park is a happy hunting- 
ground for caged animals ; Kitty and Will settle all their 
disputes in the open, that’s a rule in the game. They 
keep a list of all their grievances, and whack at each 
other in fair fight; but Pm afraid Kitty will grow up 
a sad tomboy in our select society, unless her kind 
friends take pity on her sometimes and try to mend her 
manners.” 

“Why not let her join us once a week in the mil- 
linery class?” suggested Helen. “Friday after school 
would be a splendid time, and Kitty would then be 
forced to think of things truly feminine.” 

And so it was arranged — as they parted at the 
Ormesbys’ door — that Kitty should be initiated into the 
mystery of hat making, in spite of the fact that her 
present headgear was a Tam O’Shanter, more frequently 
off her head than on it, and that Miss Kitty scoffed at 
the prim little girls of her own age, represented in the 
fashion-plates. 


99 


HELEN ORMESBY 


The next week Miss Pierce came home, and the 
house was a subdued buzz of dressmaking. The lovely 
October days were drawing to a close and little touches 
of frost made the crisp autumn air like wine. The souls 
of the “ Seven ” were not above clothes, and on Miss 
Pierce’s arrival wild shopping expeditions were planned, 
but the prim, precise little lady cut them short. 

“Not yet — not yet! we are not ready for the new 
things until we renovate the older ones. The first things 
to make are new uniforms, after that there will be much 
overhauling of the pretty clothes you have already — and 
then the dainty new ones. We must learn slowly but 
surely,” and Miss Pierce snipped away at the blue ging- 
hams, while the girls, under her direction, basted the 
simple gowns together. 

The full hours sped delightfully; each one of the 
“ Seven ” looked upon her duties as real responsibili- 
ties, and as they fell into the even ways of the house- 
hold, they marveled to themselves at the ease with which 
this large home was running, with comparatively so lit- 
tle effort on their part, and Mr. and Mrs. Ormesby 
watching their girl — ever vigilant — at the helm, direct- 
ing everything, marveled more at that than at anything 
else. 

And hers was not easy sailing, by any means. The 
girls were clumsy at first, and many of them hard to 
teach in one line or the other. The servants were often 
restive and hard to manage, but Helen brought persist- 
ent good humor and patience to her task, and being a 
bom leader, she was an inspiration to the others. 

“ She’s a regular Ormesby ! ” declared her mother 
with pride; “ she has the brain of a financier. If she had 
been a man, she’d have been your right hand in your 
office, dear.” 


ioo 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ A pity to waste so much talent, I may take her in 
yet.” His tone was grave, but his eyes were laughing. 

“ No, you would not ; you don’t believe in women 
working when they don’t have to.” 

"True; but Helen is a genius — haven’t you been 
trying to impress upon me what a shining light 
she is? ” 

“ For Heaven’s sake, let her shine at home while 
she can.” 

" You’re not a progressive woman, I’m afraid,” said 
her husband soberly. 

" I don’t know what you call progression. I’m not in 
favor of anything that keeps a woman from the high- 
est duties to which God has called her. Helen, thank 
goodness, imbibed none of those new-fangled notions in 
College.” 

" What dreadfully old-fashioned ideas, my dear ! 
You sound a century behind the times.” 

" Dear me ! and I thought Mummie was so up to 
date.” Helen paused at the open door of her mother’s 
room, distinctly amused at the guilty start both parents 
gave as she came upon them. 

" You two have been gossiping — and about me — 
what have I done? No dodging, Daddy, 4 the truth, 
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ’ — do you 
hear ? ” 

" We said some very nice things of you, and might 
have said more, had you not been eavesdropping. It 
was merely a preliminary to a request I had to make, 
and you may as well hear it now,” said her father laugh- 
ing. “ The truth is, I’m in something of a quandary ; 
the annual meeting of our Directors comes off next 
Thursday. It has usually been my custom to wind up 
the business by a large dinner at Terry’s — a private 
IOI 


HELEN ORMESBY 


room, flowers, and that sort of thing; this year, of 
course, that is out of the question, but I should like to 
entertain them at home. What say you, Helen of 
Ormesby, will you help me out ? ” 

“ To the death, my lord ! Have no fear, your din- 
ner shall go down in history as the finest ever. We girls 
will go in training at once.” 

“ Oh, I don’t want you to cook it,” said Mr. Ormesby 
in genuine alarm. “You haven’t attained the perfec- 
tion of chefs yet, and Ann at her best is quite equal to 
any emergency.” 

“ Don’t be worried,” said Helen with dignity. “ I 
was thinking only of the outside adornment. We shall 
wait on the table, open the front door, disport in the 
butler’s pantry, and thus give ‘ tone ’ to the affair. Wait 
and see.” 

“But,” objected Mr. Ormesby, “however praise- 
worthy, I wouldn’t care to let those gentlemen know 
that my daughter and her friends — ” 

“ They needn’t know,” said Helen decidedly. “ By 
next Thursday night we’ll be such a well-trained band 
that there won’t even be a superfluous smile upon our 
faces.” 

All the ensuing week there was an undercurrent of 
excitement among the “ Seven.” Miss Pierce bustled 
about in her sewing-room, making black skirts and black 
Silk blouses ; Sylvia was shut up in her room with yards 
of lace and sheer white lawn, fashioning the daintiest 
of aprons; Rita Thornton’s clever fingers made the 
pretty butterfly caps, and the rest dropped in at one place 
or the other to lend what aid they could. During the 
week a detail of two assisted Mary and Phyllis each 
evening at the dinner-table, a departure from the gen- 
eral custom; but the girls resolved to be perfect in all 


102 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the most trifling points, and this seemed to Helen the 
best and safest way. 

The two on duty were sure afterward of a most 
tempting little dinner served in Mrs. Ormesby’s bou- 
doir, whither the whole family repaired, to comment and 
criticise and suggest. 

So by the time the night came round, Mr. Ormesby’s 
uncertainty had given way to a happy feeling of se- 
curity, and when his guests arrived he was perfectly 
easy in his mind, and as genial a host as if Terry was 
at the bottom of the whole affair. 

The door was opened by Edith, whose flower-face 
bloomed beneath the flyaway cap, while Alice stood de- 
murely by, to help off with the coats, pull aside the 
heavy curtain before the drawing-room door, and an- 
nounce each guest. 

After all were assembled, these sirens disappeared 
behind the scenes. One stayed in the butler’s pantry, 
three helped Ann “ dish up,” and three took their places 
around the beautifully adorned dinner-table. When the 
meal was half over, these three were to be relieved by 
the downstairs group, and they in their turn would de- 
scend to Ann’s assistance. 

Josephine announced dinner, and even the unsuspect- 
ing and preoccupied gentlemen were extravagant in their 
praise of the beautiful room, with its effective lights and 
exquisite damask and silver and glass. 

Ropes of smilax were festooned from the chandelier 
and caught at the four corners of the table by huge 
white satin bows, and the scheme of white and green 
was carried out in the daintiest manner. Mr. Ormesby 
was astonished ; he had been kept in the dark as to their 
arrangements and preparations, and he tried in vain dur- 
ing the courses to catch the eye of one of the “ Seven,” 
103 


HELEN ORMESBY 


to smile his thanks and approval, but he might as well 
have approached seven graven images for any recogni- 
tion he received. 

As for the girls themselves, it was great fun, for 
occasionally they could relax in the pantry, and those 
below regaled themselves and Ann by their criticisms. 
But outwardly the dinner moved in solemn dignity, and 
when the gentlemen, at last, were left alone with their 
coffee and cigars, the “Seven” joined Mrs. Ormesby 
upstairs, where a charming dinner awaited them in the 
sitting-room, and they were glad to rest their weary 
feet, and be served by Phyllis and Mary, and recount 
their adventures. 

“ The worst moment was the opening of the cham- 
pagne,” said Helen; “the popping always frightens me, 
and Elsie says I shrieked, but I don’t believe her.” 

“ I shook in my shoes when I saw my own father 
was one of the guests,” said Sylvia. “ I quite forgot he 
was a Director, but I discreetly kept behind him most of 
the time, and escaped as soon as I could. Once I was 
terribly tempted to kiss that bald spot on the top of his 
head, as I do at home, but my good angel held me back 
and I fled in time.” 

“ I wonder, Josephine, if you could hide somewhere 
behind a convenient curtain and play for them when 
they go back in the drawing-room,” suggested Mrs. 
Ormesby. 

“ In this costume? ” said Josephine. 

“Why not, dear? The violin would sound just as 
sweet, and the musician need not be seen. Stand by the 
back stairway, so you can vanish quickly; go down that 
way, too, so they won’t see you from the front.” 

Josephine took her violin and stole downstairs just 
as the gentlemen were rising from the table, and the 
104 


HELEN ORMESBY 


others — listening from above — soon caught the delicate 
strains and held their very breath, for Josephine never 
played so well as when quite alone. The soul of this 
quiet, self-contained girl seemed to soar and break its 
bonds, and the plaintive notes of the violin spoke of the 
thoughts that are “ too deep for tears.” 

The sonorous voices of Mr. Ormesby’s guests grew 
hushed as the girl played on and on, and when her bow 
drew its last quivering sigh there was just an instant’s 
silence, and then a storm of applause. For a moment 
Josephine stood in doubt, whether to play again or run, 
but finally she drew her bow across the strings, and gave 
them one of those tender Scotch ballads, which they all 
knew and loved. 

There was a deeper hush than before; these sober 
men, immersed in their big business problems, had little 
time to pause and look backward over the years ; but the 
old-fashioned love-song drew them like a magnet, and 
many eyes were dim as the last strains melted away. 

This time Josephine fled in earnest, and just as she 
had her foot on the stairs the sudden pealing of the bell 
sent her flying to the front door. She left the violin on 
the library table, smoothed her apron and settled her 
cap before opening the door. A handsome, stalwart 
young fellow stood there, suit-case in hand. 

“ Why, hello Mary ! ” cried a cheery voice. “ Where 
are the folks — what’s going on here — why wasn’t I in- 
vited? Here, take my suit-case upstairs, will you? I’m 
going to walk in on that parlorful and give them a 
turn.” 

As Josephine shrank back with a smothered cry, 
Hugh Ormesby checked himself and gazed at her, de- 
light and surprise upon his face. Then his two hands 
shot out and grasped hers. 


105 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ In the name of all that is wonderful, what is the 
meaning of this masquerade ? ” 

“ Don’t you know — haven’t you heard — hasn’t Helen 
written you ? ” 

“ Not a word! The plot thickens, what does it 
mean ? I’m fairly bursting with curiosity.” 

“ Then come upstairs and hear all about it,” she said, 
releasing her hands, “ and — and I think you’d better 
carry your own suit-case,” she added, with a laugh. 

He laughed, too, as he caught it up and took the 
stairs three at a time, while Josephine followed de- 
murely in his wake. 


CHAPTER VII 


A VISITOR,” announced Josephine, swinging wide 
the door of the sitting-room, and the next 
moment Mrs. Ormesby was laughing and cry- 
ing in the arms of her big son, while Helen was hang- 
ing to his coat-tails and patting him on the back, and 
doing other sisterly and effusive things. The girls flut- 
tered to one side like a flock of blackbirds, watching the 
pretty scene in sympathetic silence; but Hugh’s quick, 
sailor eyes — roving above the bronze head on his manly 
chest — viewed them, amusement and curiosity in his 
face. 

“ What’s it all about?” he demanded, freeing him- 
self at last, and sinking, breathless and laughing, into an 
armchair. “ By Jove! little Mum, is this a masquerade? 
and what are they doing below stairs? Is it a party? 
For Heaven’s sake, answer some of my questions or I 
shall burst.” 

“ My dearest boy, if you will give me a moment to 
catch my breath; you completely took it away just now,” 
said his mother. “You are looking upon our family 
circle. The girls are spending the winter with Helen.” 

“ Oh, I see,” with a commiserating glance at the black 
gowns ; “ all orphans, I suppose — too bad — too bad — at 
one fell swoop.” 

There was a ripple of laughter, headed by Helen her- 
self. 

“ You silly boy, we’re just in special uniform for to- 
8 107 


HELEN ORMESBY 


night; Father is giving a dinner to the Directors, and 
we’ve been waiting on the table.” 

“ What a nuisance ! Why didn’t he go to Terry’s, as 
usual ? ” 

“ Because he can get better at home, and better 
service, too, and we liked it,” asserted Helen. 

“A pretty way of entertaining your guests, I must 
say!” 

“ But we’re not guests,” said Ruth, from the corner. 
“ This is all in the day’s work — isn’t it, Helen ? ” 

“ Oh, the 4 Seven ’ are always equal to emergen- 
cies,” declared the President. 44 This was an emergency, 
and we came to the rescue, that’s all.” 

44 1 confess I’m as much in the dark as ever, and oh 
— so hungry! Won’t somebody feed me? When you 
spoke of a dinner-party just now I had an odd sinking 
feeling, and the sight of that table up here is the last 
straw.” 

44 The girls broke ranks and flew about, clearing a 
space for him, while Mrs. Ormesby drew up the most 
comfortable chair invitingly to the head of the table. 

44 We shall now prepare to kill the fatted calf,” an- 
nounced Helen. 44 Father’s menu was an elaborate one — 
will you have it all ? ” 

44 Don’t skip a course, my good girl ; I’m still floun- 
dering in the sea of mystery; no matter, only tell Ann 
to be merciful and bountiful ; but stay — is Ann still in 
the kitchen, or is there another bevy of goddesses down 
below? ” 

44 No, there are only seven of us,” said Sylvia, 44 and 
unlike Wordsworth’s immortal 4 Seven,’ we’re all here.” 
She was setting a place for him, as she spoke, in a ca- 
pable sort of way, with hands that had lost much of 
their clumsiness, for they moved about the silver and 
108 


HELEN ORMESBY 


glass with a deftness quite surprising. Ruth and Helen 
had vanished on their hospitable errand, the twins were 
clearing away the remains of their own feast, Edith 
was straightening the rather disordered sitting-room, 
while Mrs. Ormesby could only sit and smile across at 
her big boy, with a heart too full for words. Josephine 
had forgotten to put away her violin; she sat with it 
across her knee, absently picking at the strings, while she 
listened to the hearty tones of the young sailor. 

“ We got into the Navy Yard just before dark/’ he 
was saying, “ and we are going to be here a whole month 
or more for repairs. Won’t we have a jolly time? ” He 
addressed all the girls impartially, for the “ Seven ” had 
spent many happy days in his company, when vacation 
had brought them down from College and Helen’s hand- 
some brother chanced to be in port. “ I might as well 
tell you,” he said, “ that we’re to celebrate Thanksgiv- 
ing by a dance at the Yard. The committee on arrange- 
ments was bewailing the dearth of girls, and when I tell 
them that I can hand in seven at once they’ll fall upon 
my neck.” 

Ruth and Helen reappeared, followed by Mary, all 
laden with good cheer, and the unexpected visitor fell 
to, with an appetite which awed and astonished the spec- 
tators. When the first edge had been taken off, how- 
ever, he turned inquiring eyes upon his sister. 

“ Out with it, Helen ; what mad prank are you up to 
now ? ” 

“If it was a mad prank, I wouldn’t be up to it,” de- 
clared Helen with spirit. “ We’re all a very sane and 
sensible lot, and we’re studying practical housekeeping 
for the eternal comfort of mankind.” 

“ Hear, hear ! ” cried Hugh, rapping vigorously zn 
the table, “this certainly does sound interesting — go 
109 


HELEN ORMESBY 


on,” and while he devoured the rest of his meal Helen 
poured into his attentive ears the whole history of the 
enterprise. It was a simple little account and very mod- 
estly told, for the girls were but beginners as yet. Hugh 
looked grave as Helen touched as lightly as she could 
upon the reason for the experiment, but he brightened 
up as the girls began to chime in, at moments peculiarly 
interesting to themselves, and he beamed upon the com- 
pany in general when the tale was done. 

“ You’re all a set of bricks/’ he said approvingly, 
“but you don’t confine yourselves to housework and 
mending and cooking, do you? Isn’t there some time 
for play ? ” 

“ Plenty of it, but we’re just beginning to find it out, 
it all looked so big and mountainous at first,” said Edith. 
“ I’m trying to systematize things, to get in a little char- 
ity work. I go to see the crippled children and read to 
them once a week.” 

“And the other day we nearly got in the papers,” 
added Alice. “ Edith gave ‘ first aid ’ right on Broad- 
way; a small boy was thrown from one of those big 
trucks where he had been stealing a ride, and he landed 
so suddenly in front of an automobile that the chauffeur 
had no time to slow up. It was an awful moment. Edith 
and I stood paralyzed. We were crossing the street 
when it happened, but fortunately the car wasn’t speed- 
ing; the front wheel just grazed the boy’s shoulder. 
Down swooped Edith, like an eagle on her prey — she 
always goes about with her little bandages, and her lit- 
tle scissors, and her little plasters, and her little salves — 
and before I knew it she was sitting in the car with the 
boy’s head on her knees and his jacket open, feeling for 
dislocation, with that surgical look on her face you 
know.” 


no 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Why, when did this happen ? ” interrupted Helen. 

“ Day before yesterday. It was a regular adventure, 
but we decided there was too much business on hand to 
tell you all about it then, so we bottled it up.” 

“ And there’s a most interesting sequel,” added Edith. 

“We haven’t reached that yet,” said Alice mis- 
chievously. “ Before I could prevent it, there was Edith 
snipping away at bandages and straps, quite unconscious 
that the lady sitting beside her was the owner of the 
car, and very interested in the operation, but I was stand- 
ing with the growing crowd on the curb, and I saw her 
— and who do you think it was, girls! Why, our dear, 
dearest Miss Burne-Elliot, of all people, and Edith didn’t 
even look at her ! ” 

“ And you never told us ! ” exclaimed Sylvia and 
Ruth in chorus. 

“Perhaps it was just as well,” said Helen; “we 
would have been too excited over it, and we certainly 
were too busy.” 

“ I didn’t know you knew Miss Burne-Elliot,” said 
Mrs. Ormesby, much interested; “where did you meet 
her ? ” 

“ They gave an open-air performance of ‘As You 
Like It,’ summer before last, during Commencement 
week, and she made a simply wonderful Rosalind ” ex- 
plained Helen. “Then afterward, we girls had her to 
tea, and we all fell in love with her. Last year she came 
and gave us several interesting talks — I certainly wrote 
you about it, Mummie — for the Club just took her in, 
she was such a girl herself and seemed to enjoy our fun; 
but then I wrote whole volumes, and you’re excused if 
you don’t remember everything. Go on, Alice; what 
did she say and how did she look ? ” 

“As lovely as ever,” said Alice, answering the last 


hi 


HELEN ORMESBY 


question first, “ and when I called out, ‘ Oh, Miss Burne- 
Elliot!’ and clasped my hands, Edith just dropped her 
scissors and stared into Miss Burne-Elliot’s laughing 
face. Everybody knows who Miss Burne-Elliot is, so 
everybody pressed closer, and I was beginning to feel so 
conspicuous when Miss Burne-Elliot said, 4 Suppose you 
come with us, Miss Alice (think of her remembering my 
name), the boy is not much hurt, but we can take him 
home and talk on the way.’ Then we found out where 
the little chap lived, and away we sped.” 

“ And you never said a word ! I couldn’t have kept 
it in,” said Sylvia, shaking her head. 

“ It was nearly out two or three times, but I smoth- 
ered Alice’s babbling inclination with a sofa pillow,” 
said Edith mildly. 

Hugh could not help laughing as he looked at the 
fair, ethereal face of the last speaker, so utterly at vari- 
ance with her high-handed methods. 

“ Now, I'm going to tell you the cream of it all,” 
she continued. “ Of course, Miss Burne-Elliot asked 
about each one of us, and when I told her what we were 
doing this winter she was wild with enthusiasm. 4 1 
wish I could help you girls in some way,’ she said. ‘ I’d 
love to join in the fun,’ and then I thought of our tab- 
leaux for the orphans, and — I — I — ” Edith paused be- 
comingly. 

“ She positively had the affrontery to ask Miss 
Burne-Elliot if she’d help us out,” broke in Alice. “ I 
thought I’d die of shame, girls ; you don’t know her — be- 
hind that Madonna mask lurks the soul of a conspira- 
tor.” 

“What did Miss Burne-Elliot say?” demanded 
Helen. 

“ Say ! Why, she just snapped it up. She offered 


1 12 


HELEN ORMESBY 


to manage the whole affair for us, and as a grand finale 
she promised us the balcony scene from ‘ Romeo and 
Juliet/ if we’d find her a Romeo.” 

Helen gave an ecstatic, half-smothered shriek, which 
Ruth promptly suppressed, for in their excitement the 
girls had quite forgotten the company below. 

“ Mummie, you can double up on the price of your 
tickets, and have your house crammed to the doors. Ye 
gods — what luck! Tune up a jig, you dreamer, I feel 
like dancing.” 

“ Hold hard, my lassie, what is this I hear about tab- 
leaux — and where do I come in ? ” asked Hugh, making 
a long arm and catching his sister as she pirouetted by. 

She perched on the arm of his chair. “ Is there a 
Romeo on board your ship ? ” she asked. 

“ There’s a fellow named Langley — John Langley — a 
middy, who spouts Shakespere by the bucketful; we 
have him up sometimes to entertain us. You might put 
him on a tunic and curl his locks. I want to dress up, 
too, and do things,” he wound up so plaintively that 
Helen patted him on the head. 

“ Your wish shall be gratified even to the full 
measure of your desires,” and she was better than 
her word. 

Hugh’s coming made a great difference in the house- 
hold. He had two weeks’ leave, which he spent at home, 
and while he laughed and joked with the girls about their 
new occupations, he was sober enough when he talked 
things over with his father and mother. 

“ It wasn’t fair to have kept me in the dark,” he said 
one morning when he found himself alone with them 
in the library. 

“ My dear fellow, we were expecting you home each 
day,” said his father; “besides, it was hard to put the 
ii3 


HELEN ORMESBY 


whole thing on paper, when, as you see, a few words of 
explanation sets the case before you.” 

“ But Helen is getting all the laurels, and there’s as 
yet no wreath on my brow.” 

“ You shall have a wreath, my son,” promised his 
mother, smiling. 

“At least I can do without the very liberal allow- 
ance you send me every quarter, Father. Most of the 
fellows have nothing but their pay, and they manage to 
make themselves pretty comfortable,” Hugh insisted, 
bent on sacrifice. 

“No, I won’t do that; but since I am running the 
whole house on half rates, I’ll reduce your income in the 
same way for a year, until things straighten out a bit, 
will that do ? ” 

“For the present — yes; but I feel a drone in this 
hive of busy bees. Isn’t there something else I can 
do?” 

“ Why don’t you consult Helen ? This is her morn- 
ing for the accounts, she is probably busy with Fred 
Gayle. It’s Saturday, you know, and he turns in the 
Farm cash.” 

“ The Farm ! ” echoed Hugh. 

“ Why, yes, the little witch is really making it pay ; 
what we have wasted heretofore goes to feed the hun- 
gry rich, who give fancy prices. But go upstairs and 
see her, she has curtained off a bit of the hall for her 
working den.” 

“And who’s Fred Gayle?” 

“A young College student in whom we have all 
been much interested; though little more than a boy 
himself, he has an orphan niece and nephew whom he is 
bringing up, and who are in a measure dependent upon 
him. Helen has found him invaluable.” 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ I’ll go up and have a peep at him,” and Hugh was 
as good as his word. The coast was clear, for Saturday 
was a busy day among the “ Seven.” 

In vain he had listened for the strains of Josephine’s 
violin; that young person was doing the marketing. 
Ruth and Elsie were helping Ann with the luncheon. 
Sylvia and Edith were in the laundry with Bridget, who, 
having more leisure on that day, gave interesting lessons 
in clear-starching. Alice was closeted with the family 
mending, and only the hum of Helen’s voice floated down 
to him as he mounted the stairs, supplemented occa- 
sionally by a pleasant, jovial laugh. As he reached the 
top, the curtains of the little Sanctum parted, and Helen 
herself, followed by Fred in teamster garb, met him in 
the hall. Helen laughed triumphantly. 

“ There, you see, Fred, you couldn’t escape. Hugh 
is a dreadful prowler, and convention is nothing to him. 
This is Mr. Gayle, Hugh, my very good friend and 
right-hand man. He and Jerry are running the Farm 
for me, you know, and I’m coining money.” 

“ It is all Miss Helen’s head, I assure you,” inter- 
posed Fred. “ Jerry and I are just satellites.” 

“ Mercy, mine’s all theory, they do the practical 
part,” insisted Helen. 

Hugh laughed. “ I suppose there are faults on both 
sides, but I wish some of you busy ones would give me 
a job; you can’t tell what I feel like in this beehive.” 

“ I thought Daddy was going to take you down 
town.” 

“ I don’t want to go down town — you are very little 
inspiration, Helen; perhaps Mr. Gayle will take charge 
of me.” 

Fred hesitated. “ I only stopped for a moment on 
my rounds to tell Miss Helen about the new chickens; 
ii5 


HELEN ORMESBY 


my truck is full of orders, which I have to deliver be- 
fore noon, after that — ” 

“ Oh — I say — take me along — I’ll be as good as gold 
— and won’t even eat an apple — and I know the wagon 
will be full of them. Let me drive and you deliver, it’s 
the best way in the world to become acquainted, and 
will keep me out of mischief besides.” 

“ For Heaven’s sake, take him ! He’s a perfect land- 
lubber ! And come back to luncheon,” said Helen. 

“ I can’t, my Saturday afternoons belong to the kids, 
you know.” 

“Bring them along; your afternoon can begin from 
here as well as from home.” 

“ Thank you ; Kitty and Will will be in the seventh 
heaven of delight. I’ll be glad to have your brother,” 
with twinkling eyes, “ but with those immaculate 
clothes — ” 

“ Oh, I can change in a moment, there are some old 
left-over togs hanging in my closet,” and, delighted as a 
boy, Hugh cleared another flight of stairs in true sailor 
fashion. In a few moments he reappeared, looking very 
much like the overgrown schoolboy Helen had remem- 
bered in the days before Annapolis, even to the small 
button of a cap perched on the back of his curly head. 
The old gray jacket was a little tight over his broad 
chest, and the trousers just a little bit off in length, but 
the result was all that could be desired, and the two 
young men, starting out in so friendly a fashion, were 
sure to find their morning full of interest. 

“ The truck is at the basement door, the side gate, 
you know,” explained Fred. “ Our way lies by the 
kitchen — have you pockets in those old clothes? Ann 
and her assistants usually pay tribute as I pass through.” 

“ This was a boy’s suit,” said Hugh. “ I think it 
116 


HELEN ORMESBY 


boasts of sixteen pockets — nice, bulging ones, too. I 
had a trick of always standing with my hands in my 
pockets, which enlarged them considerably, to say noth- 
ing of the tops and an occasional green apple which 
roosted there. Hello! Ann, the top o’ the mornin’ ter 
ye!” 

Ann’s broad back was turned toward them, but she 
wheeled at sound of Hugh’s voice. “ Lord love us ! ” 
she said ; “ it’s your room to your company this morn- 
in’, Master Hugh. I’m thinkin’ me an’ the young ladies 
is too busy for jokin’.” 

Ruth looked up from the pie she was trimming with 
dexterous hands, and smiled brightly at the newcomers 
over her glasses. 

“We’re not joking, Ann, we’re hungry; at least, 
we’re going to be hungry when we get through.” 

“ Mr. Fred never asks for things,” said Ann se- 
verely. “ Miss Elsie, darlin’, is that pan of cookies 
browned yet? You might give ’em a couple apiece.” 

“ They only make a couple of mouthfuls,” said the 
irrepressible Hugh. “ Miss Elsie, double the rations ; 
Ann has a good heart.” 

“ Oh, go ’long wid you ! Miss Ruth, me dear, where 
did we lave them sandwiches ? I always manage to have 
a snack ready for our driver of a Saturday.” 

“ It’s hardly fair to take them to-day, Ann, I’m com- 
ing back to luncheon. Still, they look so tempting,” 
Fred added, as Ruth tied them neatly in waxed paper. 

“ Master Hugh’ll eat what you can’t,” said Ann with 
conviction, “ if the ocean hasn’t took away his appetite. 
Now, then, shoo! I can’t have yez clutterin’ up my 
kitchen and spilin’ my young ladies for work. Look at 
Miss Ruth, now, she’s clean forgot that pie since you 
come in.” 


ii 7 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Ruth flushed scarlet — her color came and went very 
quickly; she caught up the pie and proceeded to whack 
at it with anything but professional skill, while Elsie in- 
dulged in a very audible titter from her corner. The 
invaders prepared to retreat, having secured their cook- 
ies and a rosy-cheeked apple apiece. Fred lingered a 
moment. 

“ How does the novel come on ? ” he asked. 

Ruth looked at him severely, though her lips 
twitched. “ Can one keep one’s mind on novels and — 
and pies at the same time ? ” 

“Well, no; but I thought you had a special time 
appointed for your literary efforts.” 

“ I have ; I’m taking a course in human nature.” 

“ Good! Will you join the youngsters in their walk 
to-day? They count on having you.” 

“ Thank the youngsters heartily, but I shall have to 
decline. We are due at Miss Burne-Elliot’s for tea at 
five, to settle about the tableaux.” 

“ It doesn’t take all seven to do that.” 

“ One of our rules,” said Ruth, still more severely, 
“ is never to shirk a duty ; it will take all seven and 
perhaps as many more before we have quite arranged 
things — good morning ! ” She dropped him a little 
curtsey of dismissal, though her eyes were dancing with 
fun, and Ann applauded vigorously when his back was 
turned. 

“ That’s the way to treat ’em, Miss Ruth, rale stern- 
like, when they gets to hangin’ round the kitchen. Men 
folks and cookin’ don’t go hand in hand; many a good 
dish has been sp’iled by ’em, I know it to my sorrow. 
You can’t begin too early to train ’em — not but what they 
ain’t useful sometimes,” she added grudgingly, remem- 
bering with royal condescension several favors conferred 
118 


HELEN ORMESBY 


upon her by John in his leisure moments, and by Fred 
in his various pilgrimages to and from the Farm. 

“ Where I live, we find them very useful,” said Ruth 
soberly. “ My father owns a large ranch, and we need 
good riders, you know.” 

“ That's the place for ’em, not round a kitchen 
stove.” 

“ Yet there was once a great king who baked cakes,” 
began Elsie. 

“ Don’t you believe her, Ann ; he let them burn to 
a crisp, and he got a good scolding for his pains, for all 
he was King Alfred the Great. He wasn’t a patch on 
me when it comes to cooking — look at that pie ! ” and 
Ruth took it out of the oven, done to a turn. 

The children, rosy-cheeked and bursting with spirits, 
arrived promptly in time for luncheon, accompanied by 
the prince. 

“ Uncle Fred telephoned,” said Kitty. “ It was dear 
of you to ask us, Miss Helen. We tried to leave the 
Prince with Nora, but it wouldn’t work.” 

“ He doesn’t like the Irish,” added Will. “ Nora 
and he bark at each other from morning till night. 
I’ve tried to explain to the Prince that it isn’t very 
gentlemanly to act that way, and he sits up in front 
of me, with his head cocked, and one long ear 
drooping, and looks at me with his soft brown eyes, 
as if he understood every word I said.” 

“And then the minute Will lets him loose, he runs 
to the kitchen, and snaps and barks at poor Nora’s 
shins,” wound up Kitty. 

“ Then he won’t like Ann, she’s very Irish. How 
does he do as parlor company ? ” 

“ First rate ! ” declared Will, “ and at luncheon he’ll 
1 19 


HELEN ORMESBY 


go right under the table and won’t stir until we’re 
through.” 

“ How about the tableaux ? ” asked Kitty, removing 
with some care the “best hat,” which Fred insisted 
should replace the Tam O’Shanter on their Saturday 
trips. 

“ We’re going to see Miss Burne-Elliot this after- 
noon. We have very little time for preparation.” 

“ Remember, we’re to be in it,” said Will. 

“ Certainly, we couldn’t do without you ; that is well 
understood.” 

“ I’m just crazy to see your big brother,” said Kitty. 
“ Is the naval uniform very handsome? ” 

“ I’m afraid you’ll be dreadfully disappointed,” 
laughed Helen. “ Hugh never wears his uniform at 
home. You’ll see him at luncheon.” 

“ I wonder — ” Kitty stopped short and grew vis- 
ibly embarrassed. 

“ Out with it, Kit,” demanded Sylvia, who found the 
children great fun. 

“ I wonder if he’d give me a brass button — I’m dying 
for a brass button. Evelina Smith has six — all different 
sizes, and she wears them on a black velvet collar; all 
the girls in my class do now — at least all who can get the 
real thing. Of course, the bought ones are very nice, 
but they are not — are not — well, celebrated, you see. 
These buttons must have been used by a true and true 
soldier or sailor — to count, and if I could get a start, 
you know — ” 

“ I never saw any one like Kitty for asking for 
things,” said Will in a tone of contempt. “ A brass but- 
ton ! why don’t you ask him for a quarter right out ? 
That’s what they cost — at least — maybe more.” 


120 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ I don’t think one or two even would break him,” 
insisted Helen, scenting brimstone in the air. 

“ Well, I dare you to, anyhow,” and Will, sticking 
his hands in his pockets, turned on his heel. Kitty’s 
dander rose and her eyes flashed. 

“ A dare never stumped me yet, Will Grey, it won’t 
now. Before I finish I expect to beat even Evelina’s 
collar — I’m going to have seven on mine — see if I 
don’t!” 

What more Will would have replied is unwritten 
history, for luncheon was announced, and the waiting 
party broke ranks and filed into the dining-room, at the 
same time the two young men, who had been refreshing 
in Hugh’s room, made their appearance, followed by 
Ruth and Elsie, for the girls had learned to make such 
rapid changes of toilet that none but the initiated could 
have guessed who among the seven were responsible for 
the dainty touches to the meal. 

Hugh met the children in his hearty way. “ I sup- 
pose these are the ‘ kids ’ Uncle Fred talks so much 
about; no one prepared me for the size of them. That 
chap, now, will soon be training for Annapolis — 
wouldn’t he look well in brass buttons ? ” 

There was a momentous silence, during which Kitty 
choked over a slice of bread and butter and grew the 
color of a peony. Will fixed his round eyes upon her. 
Here was her opportunity, and it was slipping; she tried 
to say something but her voice failed. Then Helen came 
to the rescue. 

“ How funny that you happened to speak of brass 
buttons, Hugh; we were just discussing them before 
luncheon, and wondering — ” 

“If you had any old ones,” blurted Kitty, “ the older, 


121 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the better, and if you owned one flattened by a bullet, 
I’d be so much obliged — ” 

“ I don’t happen to have one exactly that pattern,” 
said Hugh; “ we haven’t had any wars lately, you see, 
but,” a bright idea occurring to him, “ you could ham- 
mer it quite flat, you know, a hammer would do just as 
well as a bullet for that purpose.” 

“ Kit’s a beggar, but she’s honest,” said Will. “ If 
she can’t have the real thing she won’t take the imita- 
tion, I heard her say so.” 

“ Suppose we go down to the ship this afternoon 
and see how many we can collect,” suggested Hugh. 
“ I’m a lazy loafer and these girls don’t want me, and 
there’s no telling how many buttons one can find on a big 
ship — probably enough to make you a girdle, Miss Kitty.” 

Kitty bounded ecstatically in her chair. To show 
the girls at school a box full — enough to make a girdle — 
was beyond her wildest dreams. She would be a marked 
person — certainly the most popular in her class. She 
glared triumphantly at Will, but he only turned his in- 
terested gaze on Hugh, and began to fire nautical ques- 
tions at him until he cried for mercy. 

“ No wonder your poor Uncle Fred looks old and 
worn,” he declared, “ if this is the way you treat him.” 

“ I’ve drawn the line at three questions a day, and 
have thus saved my reason,” said Fred. “ But seri- 
ously, if you don’t mind the trouble, a visit to your ship 
solves our afternoon problem. We usually waste half an 
hour deciding where to go.” 

“ And the Prince,” said Kitty, while the thumping of 
a tail under the table told that his Royal Highness was 
interested in his own problem. 

“ We have to cross the Park,” said Helen, “ and 
might just as well leave him at your apartment.” 


122 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Unfortunately, the maid is out” 

“ But there’s the elevator man,” put in Will. “ He 
and the Prince are great friends, and the Prince doesn’t 
care how many times he whizzes up and down.” 

So it was settled, and the talk drifted from the young- 
sters, who, being unobserved, made the very most of 
this bountiful opportunity, until Fred arrested the sixth 
muffin from Will’s grasping hands and set the marma- 
lade jar beyond Kitty’s reach. 

The girls talked very little in public about their plans 
for the tableaux. It was one of the rules of the “ Seven ” 
never to boast of what might be done, for fear of possi- 
ble failure. The committee on arrangements had been 
perfectly delighted over Mrs. Ormesby’s offer of her 
beautiful home for the entertainment, and also over her 
assuming responsibility for the entertainment itself; it 
took a great deal of detail out of their hands, and was 
better in many ways than a liberal donation of money. 

The “ Seven ” did much discussing in their own 
rooms, in the quiet interval of tea and fudge, which 
they allowed themselves each day, but even Mrs. 
Ormesby knew little of what went on behind the closed 
doors. When Miss Burne-Elliot’s timely offer of help 
came to them, their ideas had been somewhat chaotic, 
but it was with hearts beating high with hope that the 
procession of seven wended its way across the Park, 
sedately accompanied by the Prince. 

The day was clear and crisp, with a foretaste of 
winter. The late fall had left a glory of bronze and 
copper, and even red among the foliage, and the girls’ 
cheeks, aglow with health, turned ruddy with the ex- 
ercise, so that by the time they had left his Highness with 
his friend, the elevator man, their spirits had risen to the 
occasion. 


9 


123 


HELEN ORMESBY 


When they reached the big building where Miss 
Bume-Elliot lived, Sylvia and the twins balked. 

“ We don’t want to go in like a young ladies’ Sem- 
inary,” they declared. “ The Chief, of course, and three 
of us for the first load, the others will trot around the 
block ; we’ll show up later.” So when Miss Burne-Elliot 
trailed out into her spacious hall to meet them, she seemed 
surprised. 

“ Why, I thought there were seven of you ! ” she 
exclaimed, when the first cordial greetings were over. 

Helen laughed and nodded. “ There are three more 
of us to come up later. They objected to invading the 
premises in one big bunch. What a lovely place, and how 
well it suits you!” and Helen glanced from the high 
vaulted room with its gigantic window at one end, with 
its harmonious shades and touches, and air of living 
comfort, to the tall graceful woman beside her, with a 
face more than beautiful, in its alertness and intelligence. 

“ That is a very nice compliment,” she said, in a voice 
like organ music, as Josephine afterward described it. 
“ I am so glad you like my studio, for that is all it is. 
This great high ceiling is good for my work, in rehears- 
ing for my different roles — my voice carries to the very 
rafters ; and look up at the balcony, see how effective it 
is ; wait and I’ll show you.” She caught up a pale blue 
scarf, flung it around her head, and ran lightly up the 
toy stairway which the girls noted connected with the 
sleeping-rooms above. A moment later a sweet and 
charming Juliet was leaning over the balcony, and Shake- 
spere’s immortal love scene was wafted down to them, 
while they stood spell-bound, forgetting even to lay aside 
their coats. 

The bell brought their hostess downstairs again, 
flushed and smiling over the pleasure she had given, and 
124 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the other girls were speedily made aware of what they 
had missed. 

“ Never mind,” said Miss Burne-Elliot, “ perhaps 
later on I may give you another bit. I have a funny 
little story about that balcony scene, which may possibly 
interest you. Last summer I was visiting a friend in a 
beautiful mountain country in the Adirondacks. She 
had a lovely home and my room faced the glorious moun- 
tain peaks, the highest in the range, they tell me. I 
had long French windows opening upon a little balcony, 
and one brilliant, dazzling morning as I stepped out upon 
it, to drink in the sunshine, a gentleman, a well-known 
actor, tramped by beneath me. 

“ 4 Romeo, Romeo ! ’ I called. ‘ Wherefore art thou, 
Romeo ! * and would you believe it, we forgot everybody 
and everything but the beautiful words, arid when we had 
finished, there stood my hostess on the large veranda 
beneath me, vigorously applauding. 

“ 'I never saw it better done ! * she cried. ‘ Would you 
two try it again at sunset to-morrow, with the red touch- 
ing the mountains, and the evening glamor over it ? ’ 

“ ‘Yes/ we said, quite unsuspecting, and the next day 
the narrow mountain road was lined with carriages and 
automobiles, the house and grounds were filled with a 
smiling, eager throng, and my Romeo and I spouted 
again, while the sun sank like a ball of fire behind the 
distant peaks.” 

“ Oh, how lovely ! ” cried Elsie, clasping her hands. 
“ I really believe if there is one thing I could do, it 
would be acting,” she added modestly. 

“ We’ll soon find what talent lies hidden among you,” 
said Miss Burne-Elliot with a smile, and now here comes 
our tea. If some of you will pull out that nest of tables, 
my little English maid will be less awkward.” 

125 


HELEN ORMESBY 


The girls exclaimed over the beautiful inlaid tables, 
as they placed them hospitably around, and all enjoyed 
the tea and buttered muffins, while Miss Burne-Elliot 
kept up delightful desultory talk. 

Ruth finished her muffin and leaned back with a sigh. 
“ If the people who rave over the tones of your voice, 
could only hear you ask some one to have another muffin,” 
she said, as Miss Burne-Elliot passed the plate to her, 
“ I think they’d go wild. I don’t believe they think you 
would descend to a buttered muffin.” 

Miss Burne-Elliot laughed as she helped herself. 
“ Buttered muftins are among the mainstays of the true 
Britisher. Buttered muffins stimulate discussion, for we 
have much to talk over if I’m really to be of help to you. 
Now Miss Helen, what is the scheme, what is it for, and 
what do you hope to realize ? ” 

She began in such a direct way that one almost forgot 
the great actress in the practical business woman, who 
was so willing to put her sensible ideas at their service. 
For an hour they talked and planned, and when at last 
Helen looked at her watch and gave the signal for going, 
Miss Burne-Elliot said good-by to an excited group. 

“ I’m sure we’ll make a success of it,” she said, “ with 
a lovely home and so many willing hands.” 

“And such a good friend,” added Helen, who could 
always be counted on to say the right thing. 

“Of course that counts, but it’s not everything, there’s 
much hard work attached to real success you know. Au 
revoir, and remember, talk as little as possible, so that 
our finished work may dazzle the beholders.” 

So the “ Seven ” went home elated, to talk of Miss 
Burne-Elliot, and tea and buttered muffins, but never a 
word about the tableaux passed their discreet lips. 


CHAPTER VIII 


G IRLS, this afternoon, at three sharp, there’s to 
be a dress parade in my room. It’s raining too 
hard for us to go out, and Hugh reminded 
me this morning that Thanksgiving is only a week off. 
That means the ship’s dance, and if you’re all like me,” 
added Helen, “ you have nothing to wear.” 

An answering groan greeted these remarks. 

“ I have a trunk full of last year’s wrecks,” sighed 
Sylvia. “ We haven’t had a minute since we came here, 
you see, and buying was forbidden. Good old Helen, 
give us a dispensation, and let us buy one gown apiece, 
for the honor of the ‘Seven’; we don’t want to go in 
rags, you know.” 

The twins looked up expectantly, buying gowns was 
the delight of their souls, and the last two months had 
been severe discipline. 

“ I have my last year’s white silk, but it’s dirty. It 
could be cleaned, I suppose,” began Edith, “ and there’s 
my white chiffon over pale blue, but the roses are all 
crushed beyond redemption, and the chiffon is torn and 
soiled.” 

“ I’ve nothing but a few summer silks and my grad- 
uation gown,” said Ruth. “ Father gave me money for 
a couple of evening dresses, but we’ve lw.d no time to 
think of those things.” 

“ My yellow chiffon is as bad as Edith’s, I had ex- 
pected to go shopping, too,” said Josephine. 

127 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ And I’m the worst of the lot,” declared Helen, “ I 
don’t own a dress that isn’t shabby.” 

“ Then of course we’ll have to buy something,” said 
Alice, in a tone of conviction. “ Elsie and I are in the 
same boat, we have some pretty things to be made up. 
We can’t drape them around us, you know.” 

But Helen laughed at such an idea. “ If we haven’t 
grit enough to surmount this difficulty without appealing 
to the shops, we’re a pretty poor lot. Come to my room 
at three, with all your finery, and we’ll talk it over.” 

“ Don’t have Miss Pierce, she’s too practical and 
sordid for such a flimsy consultation,” said Sylvia. 
“ Little Rita Thornton has twice the ingenuity when 
you’re after ideas. She may suggest something really 
original.” 

“Not a bad idea,” said Helen, “ and she’d like the 
fun. I’ll ring her up right now, and Jerry can go for 
her this afternoon.” 

So it was all arranged; in response to Helen’s mys- 
teriously worded invitation, Rita found herself safely 
ensconced on that young lady’s comfortable lounge, as 
the clock struck three, and simultaneously there arrived, 
staggering bundles of animated finery from the regions 
upstairs. Helen spread a sheet on the floor, and the 
rainbow-colored pile was banked up before the wondering 
Rita. 

“ Now then,” said Helen, turning her key in the lock, 
“ this is a secret session, for when one has a seafaring 
brother prowling around town, one is never safe except 
behind bolts and bars. Rita, you are a specialist, and 
we’ve sent for you to handle some delicate cases. Miss 
Pierce is very good as a general practitioner, but she’s 
slow, and we need quick treatment. We propose to make 
out of that disconsolate pile — with your kind help and 
128 


HELEN ORMESBY 


advice — seven handsome evening gowns for the ship’s 
dance. We’ve only six days to fuss over it, and we 
really want to look our best. To us, the pile seems hope- 
less; not to you, perhaps.” 

“Far from it!” said Rita. “That’s a lovely thing 
on top — that yellow.” 

“ Mine,” said Josephine promptly. “ What shall I 
do to redeem it? I feel as if I were playing a game of 
forfeits,” she added laughing. 

“ Try it on,” commanded Rita, and Josephine obe- 
diently retired behind a screen on the other side of the 
room ; when she emerged at last, thanks to Elsie’s timely 
aid in “ fastening up,” she looked like a tall and graceful 
jonquil. But she was right, in the full light the dress 
had lost its freshness, it was absolutely soiled in many 
places, and Rita gazed at it thoughtfully. 

“ It could be cleaned,” she remarked, “ but you 
haven’t time; it might be — it could be dyed — a little 
deeper yellow would hide the dirt and be equally as pretty 
and becoming.” 

“ Yes, but they take quite as long to dye things as to 
clean them,” said Josephine. 

“ Not my way, I do my own very nicely. I’ve done 
lots of it. I could do it for you ; it’s not much trouble — 
I’d be so glad to help,” said Rita eagerly. 

“ Maybe dyeing will solve our problem,” said Helen 
hopefully. 

“ It settles a great many problems,” observed Edith. 

“ Are you referring to our future state, old croaker, 
or is your mind fixed frivolously on gowns? ” demanded 
Ruth. 

“ I believe I was occupied exclusively with my white 
chiffon,” Edith confessed, “though it did sound funny. 
You see it’s made to wear over a pale blue silk slip, and 
129 


HELEN ORMESBY 

could be dyed to match, couldn’t it?” and fishing it out 
of the heap, she held it up for Rita’s inspection. 

“ Of course, that will make it lovely, I can freshen 
the roses for you. Next!” 

“ My Commencement gown, but it’s too thin for the 
season,” said Ruth, spreading it before her. “ I dished 
it out pretty thoroughly last summer. It seems hopeless, 
doesn’t it? And here are a couple of summer silks — 
nearly gone, you see. I couldn’t get a dollar at auction 
for the lot.” 

“You wouldn’t want to sell these precious things. 
This silk mull of yours is beautiful, and the old rose 
summer silk will be just the thing for a slip. Miss Pierce 
can show you how to cut it out, and it won’t take you 
more than a day to make.” 

Ruth closed her eyes and clasped her hands in mock 
ecstacy. “ Methinks I see the picture,” she murmured. 
“ Rita, you are something more than a mere teacher of 
millinery; you are what an artist would call an impres- 
sionist, you have the art of presenting a masterpiece to 
the mind’s eye, in a few swift, sure strokes. I am already 
gowned for the dance, the admiration and envy of all 
beholders.” 

“ We are battered wrecks,” said Elsie, as she and 
Alice fished up an armful of their belongings. “ Our pink 
and blue crepe de chines had better go in the rag-bag. 
Did you ever see such bedraggled looking objects!” 

“ You’d better try the washtubs instead,” said Rita. 
Crepe de chines wash beautifully; rip off that exquisite 
lace and pearl beading, and I’ll have it all cleaned and 
ready to be put back. Those other gauzy things needn’t 
be looked at now.” 

“ How about this ? ” and Sylvia held up a woe-begone 
heliotrope creation of chiffon and heavy silk embroidery. 
130 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Red would be most effective,” declared Rita, “ the 
dyes show very rich shades.” 

“ Rita, you’re a wizard, Sylvia will look simply stun- 
ning in a red gown. As for me,” added Helen, “ I’ll 
only show you one among my many forlorn hopes. After 
our blessed tableaux and Christmas, we’ll really have to 
give our unbiased attention to clothing ourselves prop- 
erly. I used to like this pink gauze — can I do anything 
with it? It’s one big blotch of dirt.” 

“ The pink under it seems fresh enough,” said Rita, 
examining it with professional eyes. “ Suppose you dye 
the gauze a beautiful silver green, and finish off the low 
neck with this wreath of rosebuds that catches the skirt.” 

“ With Helen’s bronze hair, she’ll look like a picture,” 
said Josephine. “ Now, theoretically, our toilets are com- 
plete. When and where do you open your dyeing 
establishment, Miss Thornton ? ” 

“ Let me see — perhaps to-morrow — and here, if you 
like. The dyeing process is quick enough; it only takes 
care and energy. I’m afraid,” with a little sigh, “ I’m 
not quite strong enough to do it alone, if some of you 
would help — ” 

“ We all will,” declared Helen heartily, “ indeed, we 
want to do the whole thing under your directions; now 
tell us what is needed,” and forthwith they plunged into 
an animated discussion of ways and means. 

The “ Seven ” were full of suppressed excitement that 
evening, but Mrs. Ormesby, being a discreet lady, asked 
no questions. The gay talk and laughter flew from one 
end of the dinner table to the other, for Hugh was en- 
tertaining three of his special cronies, two fellow lieu- 
tenants and the young “ middy,” John Langley, whom 
he had suggested as a fitting Romeo. The sailor boys 
were enjoying themselves greatly, for the girls’ overflow 

131 


HELEN ORMESBY 


of spirits poured out upon them. Hugh was delighted 
over the impression they made, and when they adjourned 
to the library for coffee, and Josephine played all their 
favorite airs upon her violin, their enthusiasm knew no 
bounds. 

“Our little 'jig fiddles’ will sound nothing to you 
ladies after Miss Ashton’s music,” said John Langley. 
“ We have only a primitive sort of band — too primitive 
for the size of the ship — but it keeps time, and that’s 
all we need for a dance.” 

“ Oh, it’s the glamor of the ship that will please us 
more than anything else. Do you give a dance in every 
port ? ” asked Sylvia. 

“ Generally, it’s our one diversion you know ; we sail- 
ors lead hard, self-sacrificing lives,” said Lieutenant Ball, 
whose ruddy countenance and laughing eyes belied his 
words. 

“ I forgot to tell you girls,” said Hugh, “ that the 
dance is not to be on board ship, there’s so little space 
there for such a lot of folk as we are expecting. In 
summer time it’s another matter, when we’re anchored 
in the river and we have the wide decks, but at the 
Navy Yard we generally use what is known as a ‘ Sail- 
loft.’ They made sails there in the old days, now they 
make flags. It’s nothing more nor less than a pretty big 
space of waxed floor, and the flags will lend * dashes of 
color ’ to help in the decorations — we fellows always see 
to that.” 

“ But I’m disappointed,” pouted Sylvia, “ I wanted 
the ship.” 

“ You shall have it for part of the time; as President 
of my Ward Mess, I invite you to dine with us first — 
a select company.” 


132 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Don’t forget to count us in,” said Mrs. Ormesby, 
“ your father and I are just spoiling for a dance.” 

“ You are the most necessary part of the whole,” said 
Hugh, patting her head, as he towered beside her. “ A 
dance without a chaperon is positively unheard of in the 
social annals of the Navy.” 

“ And you’re mistaken, Miss Browne, if you think 
there’s glamor in a ship. She’s all nails and screws and 
big guns. Something to take care of and polish up, just 
a huge government baby, with a nurse for every joint ; we 
have eight hundred in crew, and not a man idle,” added 
John Langley. “ You see, being a * middy,’ I bunk in 
what is known as the * steerage,’ and come close to the 
workings.” 

“ It’s life below stairs for poor little Johnny,” laughed 
Hugh, “ unless we great ones have him up to spout 
Shakespere. Give us a bit now, lad,” he said in an 
off-hand manner, prearranged with Helen, but Langley 
flushed to the roots of his yellow hair. 

“ Oh, come, Hugh, I’m not a high-school boy going 
round reciting things.” 

“ Certainly not, but you might do Hamlet for them, 
or Romeo. ” 

“Hamlet’s out of the question, and as to Romeo — 
well I just won’t. I wouldn’t mind a bit from ‘The 
Merchant of Venice,’ there’s a fine speech of Bassanio’s 
in the casket scene, if I had a nice Portia to talk back.” 

“ I could read the part,” said Edith shyly, fastening 
her deep blue-eyed gaze upon him with deadly effect. 
Langley at once fell into the trap, and Helen breathed 
a sigh of relief, for Edith was a delightful reader, and in 
the College days had been picked out as one of the best 
Shakespere interpreters. 


133 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ I propose that we adjourn to the hall,” cried Hugh, 
“ the voices carry better there,” and out they all streamed, 
grouping themselves picturesquely in an impromptu circle 
about Edith and the young midshipman, who stood, one 
on either side of the great fireplace at the far end. 

Edith looked tall and willowy, standing straight be- 
fore Bassanio, a bit in shadow of the overhanging mantel 
shelf, while the firelight flickered and danced over her 
in bewitching little darts and gleams. 

“Am I all right? ” she asked, smiling, and poor Bas- 
sanio answered “ Perfect ! ” in such a rapt way that there 
was a general laugh, and Hugh called out peremptorily: 

“ That’s not in the dialogue ; give it to us straight, 
Johnny, whatever you do.” 

Then Portia and Bassanio bent to their work, and the 
pretty scene went with a swing, while the delighted au- 
dience clapped and encored. 

The sonorous voice of the tall young “ middy ” rang 
out in the spacious hall. Perhaps he had never spoken to 
so lovely a Portia, for there was no denying that Edith 
was a very fascinating young person, all the more so 
because of her genuine unconsciousness, which was her 
greatest charm. At any rate he was very modest when 
compliments were showered upon him. 

“ I should imagine you’d make a splendid Romeo” 
said Helen innocently. “ Have you ever seen Miss 
Burne-Elliot as Juliet? ” 

“ Only last year, I envied the stick of a Romeo who 
acted with her. I’m not much, but I could have done it 
better.” 

Helen laughed. “ Perhaps you may have a chance 
some time,” she said impressively. 

John Langley stared at her, but she was evidently in 
earnest. 


134 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Perhaps you have some sort of a pull with the great 
actress,” he said, laughing in his turn. 

“ Perhaps I have,” she answered seriously. “ Would 
you like it? To play Romeo to her Juliet , I mean.” 

“ Like it! If it were within the limits of possibility; 
but you’re joking.” 

“ Wait — come with me and hear for yourself.” 

The telephone stood in a far corner. Helen rang up 
Miss Burne-Elliot’s number, and gravely handed him the 
trumpet while she spoke into the receiver. Miss Burne- 
Elliot was at home, and the talk was brief but convinc- 
ing. 

Langley’s face underwent many changes while he 
listened, and when Miss Burne-Elliot concluded by ask- 
ing Helen to bring her newly found Romeo around to 
call, the trumpet actually fell from his nerveless hand. 

“ So that was Hugh’s little game, was it, to have me 
up here on exhibition? Well, I’m glad I didn’t know 
beforehand, I should have blundered through every- 
thing.” 

“ That’s what we thought,” cried Hugh triumphantly. 
“ Little Mum, you can sell your tickets at five dollars 
apiece, with such a combination. I am glad our blessed 
ship touched port in time. Come on, fellows, it’s late 
and we must report at the Yard before eleven,” for 
Hugh’s leave was over and he could only come and go 
as a visitor. 

The next few days passed in a whirl of work. Rita 
came early each morning, and the drying-room below 
was given up to the mysterious purposes of the “ Seven.” 

“ Mummie, dear, I see question marks written all over 
your face,” said Helen, encountering her mother on the 
stairs, and surprising a mildly curious glance, “but we 
are in the midst of what you might call ‘ evolution ’ just 
135 


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with Mother and Daddy in the coupe. Jerry will have 
to drive one, and John the other; as to poor Fred, we will 
relegate him to the Subway. ,, 

“ How nice ! I didn’t know he was going,” and Ruth 
looked up quite pleased. 

“ There are always a few black coats among the blue 
and gold lace, and Hugh has taken quite a fancy to my 
man of business. I only wish you were going too, Rita,” 
she added, struck by the wistfulness in the delicate face. 

But Rita smiled, and the shadow passed directly — 
“ I never miss such things,” she said quietly. “ I’ve been 
very happy in helping you, and if I can see you dressed 
for the dance, I shall feel repaid.” 

“You shall, indeed, we almost feel as if you were 
the author of our being,” declared Alice enthusiastically. 

Thanksgiving Day dawned clear and cold. There was 
the first sharp breath of winter in the air. All day the 
girls were in a flutter, and the early dusk saw them 
tucked away in their rooms, while Rita limped from one 
to the other, giving finishing touches in her own deft 
way. At half past six, a bouquet of blooming flowers 
stood outside of Mrs. Ormesby’s door, knocking for 
admittance. Phyllis was putting the last touches to her 
mistress’s toilet, and Mrs. Ormesby, turning from her 
own pleasant reflection, gave a little cry of surprise as 
the radiant young faces gathered round her. 

They were not all beautiful by any means, but they 
were fresh and buoyant and happy, while the conscious- 
ness that they were looking their best, and through their 
own efforts, but added to the pleasing effect. To be 
young is, after all, half the battle, so Mrs. Ormesby 
thought, as she listened to an animated history of their 
struggles, and noted the gay good humor, and the clear, 
honest eyes, and it was fine to see how well the “ Seven ” 

138 


HELEN ORMESBY 


pulled together in every emergency; no little jealousy had 
ever betrayed itself, and each was as proud of the other's 
appearance on this special night, as of her own. 

“ I'm so glad you like us,” said Ruth, who as usual 
voiced the popular feeling. “There’s only one drawback 
to the evening, I find,” and a little twinkle glittered be- 
hind the eye-glasses. “ Girls, we have no chaperon, 
look at that ! ” And Mrs. Ormesby flushed like the young- 
est of them, as the eyes of the “ Seven ” turned upon 
the girlish figure in its soft clinging gown of dull blue, 
above which rose a fair face with its wealth of tawny 
hair, so like Helen’s. 

“ Dear little Mummie, she is glorious. I'm half afraid 
to trust her among so much gold lace,” said Helen, hug- 
ging her on the spot. 

“ Ladies, the carriages are at the door,” called Mr. 
Ormesby, “ and we haven’t too much time.” 

Then the rainbow string of girls floated away in 
search of cloaks and scarfs, and presently they were 
driving at a rattling pace through the dusky streets, al- 
ready beginning to glow with electric lights. 

“ It’s a good thing we started out with an overflow of 
spirits,” observed Josephine, when they struck the great 
Bridge at last. “ Brooklyn usually produces torpor — it’s 
neither fish nor fowl.” 

“ Tell that to the Brooklynites,” laughed Sylvia, “ and 
such a remark from a Philadelphian — the city of eternal 
sleep!” 

“ We’re at least a City,” remarked Josephine, with 
cutting sarcasm, for they were passing through the most 
uninteresting quarter, where all the old-fashioned, dirty- 
looking houses seemed to be cut out of the same pattern. 

“ I’m not defending it,” said Helen, “ but this is only 
the lower part — around by the docks and shipping — the 
10 139 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Navy Yard naturally cannot be in the heart of town. 
Look way ahead, you can see the gray stone gates of the 
Yard, and don’t expect paradise inside. I’m glad the 
night hides all the smudginess of the place; I’ve been 
there in the daytime — Ye gods ! ” 

But they were agreeably surprised to see the gateway 
outlined with electric lights, and a long glittering row of 
them strung across the main walk to the edge of a little 
canal, where a funny looking ferry boat — run on a 
cable — waited to carry them to the ship. 

Fascinating-looking young sentries paced up and 
down, guarding the entrance, and Hugh himself, with his 
three friends, resplendent in ceremonial trappings, be- 
side whom Fred Gayle, in his evening black, looked like 
a poor shadow, stood waiting to receive the party. 

The young officers wore their boat-capes, below 
which could be plainly seen the gold lace of their dark 
blue uniforms, and these capes were carelessly flung 
aside that the gold braid and buttons upon their manly 
chests could distinctly awe the beholders. 

“ These fellows are for use, not for ornament,” said 
Hugh. “ Langley, being only a ‘ middy,’ isn’t so furbe- 
lowed, and can take a lady upon each arm. I will escort 
my sister and Miss Josephine, the rest of you may have 
a maiden apiece. Now, little Mum, fall in with Father, 
and all make tracks for the ferry, the boat’s coming in 
now. Shall we take you up the gangway or the ship’s 
ladder? Perhaps Miss Sylvia would like the ladder, to 
preserve the glamor of the ship.” 

“ I’d rather preserve the tail of my gown,” called 
Sylvia, who found Lieutenant Blount quite worth talking 
to, and was chattering away as to an old friend. 

“ I would suggest the gangway on this cold night,” 
said Mrs. Ormesby. 

140 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Presently they all piled in the boat, and the little 
snorting thing had them across before they had time to 
think about it, and the huge black hulk of the ship rose 
out of the night, and loomed ahead of them. The cable 
rattled to its finishing thump, and a moment later they 
were all aboard the big ship, while the grinning sailor- 
boys touched their caps to their superior officers, and 
looked curiously after the girlish figures as they flitted 
by, carefully guided by their escorts. Helen had slipped 
away from Hugh, and was hanging on her father’s other 
arm. Hugh looked after her admiringly, and turned to 
his companion, who seemed a little embarrassed by the ar- 
rangement. 

“ This suits me utterly,” he said, with a happy laugh, 
drawing her hand more securely through his arm. “ Do 
you know, Josephine, I have had very little time to talk 
to you since I came home; we used to have jolly good 
talks in the old days; now you are either too busy or 
there are too many of you. I demand three dances to- 
night, the first, the middle, and the last,” and he handed 
her a dance-card. Josephine laughed and shook her head. 

“ I may give you the first and the last, but no more.” 

“ The fellows upstairs in the Ward Room will be 
sure to gobble up everything; may I put my name down 
as security ? ” 

“ Yes, but seriously, one dance is all you should have, 
Hugh.” 

“ For such an old friend! Nonsense, you know it 
is different with us. I have a profound admiration and 
respect for all the ‘ Seven,’ but you and I have made 
mud-pies together, so to speak, and two dances are a 
mere pittance; besides, I’m going away soon.” 

“ On that account it shall be two dances,” said Jo- 
sephine firmly. “ Hugh, you’re a great wheedler, there’s 
141 


HELEN ORMESBY 


my card,” and Hugh wrote his name with a great flourish. 

“ I always ask for one more than I expect,” he said 
with a chuckle, “ and human nature is queer, if I had 
asked you for two dances, you’d have beaten me down 
to one — now wouldn’t you ?” and his laughing eyes smiled 
into hers. “ Take care of those steps, they are so steep 
and narrow, it will be safer for you to go ahead.” 

In the Ward Room the girls found themselves sur- 
rounded by dazzling creatures in much gold lace and 
many brass buttons, and introductions were bewildering. 
There was the richly adorned Lieutenant-Commander 
and the ship’s Surgeon, a jolly red-faced person, not 
forgetting the Paymaster and many Lieutenants and En- 
signs, all glittering in their “ best bibs and tuckers,” while 
the Captain of Marines quite took their breath away with 
his splendor. 

“ Don’t stop to identify people,” said Hugh, taking 
his sister by the arm, “ but come into my stateroom to 
take off your wraps. You’ll have to enter in squads,” 
he said, as he flung open the door of the tiny space, con- 
secrated to his possessions. “ Half of you at a time, 
please. Here, little Mum, is a chair of state; put your 
things on the 4 bunk,’ ladies, and behold where the lion is 
caged. I have very commodious quarters compared with 
some. You should see the space below, where that giraffe 
John Langley has to fold himself up.” 

The girls glanced about them, much interested ; every- 
thing was nice and shipshape, the “ bunk ” was spotless, 
and a wardrobe built in the wall disposed of his belong- 
ings, besides which, there was quite an imposing desk, 
covered with books and writing materials, and photos of 
various interesting ladies, young and old, whom he had 
met on his travels, at which they peered curiously. 

“ You’ll find many nationalities there, but after all I 
142 


HELEN ORMESBY 


prefer the American type,” and he pushed to the front 
a full length picture of his mother, while Mrs. Ormesby 
colored like a girl. 

In the Ward Room the table was set for twenty 
people, and fairly glittered with the gorgeous silver 
service presented by the State after which the ship was 
christened. Mr. Ormesby and Fred Gayle had been 
taken in charge of by the hospitable officers, and before 
dinner was served the stiffness of recent introductions 
had quite melted away. 

Thanks to the name cards at each place, each girl 
learned to know the officers on either side, so with every 
one of the five courses, the friendly and informal spirit 
of the occasion put everybody at ease. 

Uncle Sam fed his officers well, and the emblematic 
turkey graced the board, with all the Thanksgiving frills 
attached, added to which was rice and curry — the navy 
specialty — and for dessert, wine jelly, or “ trembling 
Jane” as it was called aboard ship, was served in a 
foamy bed of whipped cream. Over the coffee, the girls’ 
dance cards were demanded, and would have been filled 
at once, but the Lieutenant-Commander intervened: 

“ Don’t be greedy, remember the Junior Mess is com- 
ing to this dance, and we mustn’t take all the plums.” 

He forthwith sent his orderly to give his compliments 
to the President of the Junior Officers’ Mess, and say 
that the Ward Room Officers would be glad to have the 
Juniors join them at the sail-loft for the dance that 
evening. And then, after much lively chatter, there was 
a pleasant bustle of departure. 

The building was far from handsome, but the rather 
stablelike entrance was festooned in flags, while along 
|the banisters of the somewhat rickety staircase which 
led to the loft, gay bunting was draped with artistic 
143 


HELEN ORMESBY 


effect. The loft itself was literally a bower of beauty; 
its somewhat unsightly walls were completely hidden 
by the drooping flags, and electric lights were strung on 
poles diagonally across the space. The ship’s band, in 
their red and gold uniforms, made a bright splotch of 
color in one corner, and there was an expectant tuning 
going on among them. 

The girls’ cheeks began to glow, and their impatient 
feet tapped unconsciously on the waxed floor. The big 
place was gradually filling with invited guests, and before 
very long the dance was on, a perfect riot of light and 
color. The “ Seven ” were not still for a moment, and 
Mrs. Ormesby found herself borne away by one gallant 
officer after another, much to the amusement of her 
husband, who was content to stand and watch the pretty, 
ever-shifting scene. 

“ Aren’t you going to dance, Daddy ? ” asked Helen, 
pausing like a bird in her gay flight, her gold-laced cav- 
alier beside her. 

“ No, indeed; your mother did cajole me into the 
first dance, but I confess I’ve outgrown it ; every muscle 
aches.” 

“ Only from disuse. Look at Mummie, she doesn’t 
seem stiff.” 

“ She’ll pay for it to-morrow,” declared Mr. Ormesby, 
with gloomy foreboding. “ I might have had another 
try at it, but I can’t get back my own wife for the 
venture, and I won’t risk another lady’s neck. Stop up 
your ears, Helen, don’t the people look like a set of 
marionettes, with the sound of the music shut out ? ” 

Helen laughed as she tried the experiment. “ They 
certainly do, you dear old misanthrope ; well, you’re per- 
fectly hopeless — if that’s the way you look at it, au 
144 


HELEN ORMESBY 


revoir ” and Helen’s partner swept her again into the 
maze of dancers. 

“ I wonder what the ranchers would think of a dance 
like this!” and Ruth paused out of breath, while Fred 
Gayle vigorously mopped his heated brow. 

“ I always imagined cowboys were a pretty jolly set,” 
he remarked. 

“ So they are, but there’s no style about them ; they 
elect to have a dance, so they clean out a barn, make 
barrels of lemonade, get their girls and a handy fiddler, 
and pitch in. The girls come in shirtwaists, the boys 
keep on their flannel shirts; oh, we have great times, 
perhaps next year you may come West for your vacation, 
you and the youngsters, and you’d see the genuine thing. 
I love my great big prairie West. I’m going to ride one 
of the horses father shipped to me, if I ever have time to 
try his mettle in the Park. Would you like to try one ? ” 

“ Wouldn’t I ! I lived on a horse when I was Will’s 
size. My home was on a large farm up-state, and my 
big roan carried me from one end to the other.” 

“ Then you’ll enjoy my little broncos, and we’ll go 
soon. I don’t think Mrs. Ormesby would mind if you 
were along. John’s all right and safe, but he’s nothing 
much of a horseman, and it takes skill to manage the 
ranch breeds. Now I’ve caught my breath, let us be 
moving,” and she too floated away on her partner’s arm. 

The twins had the time of their lives, the pink and 
blue crepe de chines were in constant demand, for they 
danced with the ease and grace which is born with the 
Southern girls. So alike were they, with their blonde 
hair piled high on their heads and their pretty shoulders 
emerging at just the same angle from the pink and blue 
gowns, that only the difference in the colors they wore 

145 


HELEN ORMESBY 


could distinguish one from the other, and the unwary 
being to whom their names were not familiar, was apt 
to get into a sad muddle, if these very mischievous 
young persons chose to play pranks, which they did 
many times in the course of the evening. 

Sylvia’s red gown attracted much attention, and 
Sylvia’s vivacious self attracted still more. The “ Mid- 
dies ” in particular, thronged around this birdlike young 
person, who had to chop her dances into little pieces to 
satisfy all claims. As to Edith, the acknowledged beauty 
of the bunch, many eyes followed the graceful, slender 
figure that evening, for besides mere perfect features, 
there was an undefinable poetic charm about the flower- 
like face, that drew like a magnet. 

“ How about the glamor of a ship’s dance ? ” demand- 
ed Hugh, as he caught the red gown in a final “ Home, 
Sweet Home ” waltz. 

“ It’s still there. I’d like another one to-morrow,” 
answered Sylvia, with a sigh, as she finished the waltz 
and went for her wraps. 

“ It is to-morrow, and Father has just received some 
cabalistic signs from Jerry outside. I’m glad you’ve had 
a happy evening. Take care, you fellows ! ” for the 
young midshipmen, working off the exuberance of their 
average twenty years, were making tracks for the ship, 
after the manner of a stampede, down the shaky stair- 
case. 

“ Take care ! ” but the warning came too late, for 
Helen, who with her escort, was nearly at the bottom, 
leaned too heavily on the swaying bannister ; she lost her 
balance, and missed her footing on the very last step. 
She would have fallen had not her companion held her 
firmly, but she turned very pale as she clung to him, for 
she had given her ankle an ugly wrench. 

146 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ What’s the matter, Miss Ormesby, are you hurt ? ” 
and Lieutenant Ball looked anxiously at her. 

“ It’s my ankle, I twisted it somehow — ,” she managed 
to say, biting her lips, as a deadly faintness came over her. 
“ Let me sit down somewhere, please.’ 1 

Instantly, a dozen men had stretched out helping 
hands, and the red-faced ship’s surgeon came quickly 
forward, while Mr. and Mrs. Ormesby hurried up. 

“ I’m all right,” murmured Helen, “ don’t be fright- 
ened. It’s my ankle ; I lost my balance somehow. Oh, I 
don’t want to faint — it hurts so — ” 

“ Here, take this,” the Doctor pulled a little flask 
from his pocket and poured out a stimulating drop or 
two into the little cuplike cover. “ Now pull off the 
shoe and stocking and let me see the damage.” 

“ I’ll do it,” and Edith was at her friend’s side. “ Poor 
old Chief, she needs careful handling,” she added, “ the 
ankle is swollen already.” She had deftly removed the 
slipper and stocking as she spoke, and the Doctor was 
making an examination. 

“ I don’t think there are any bones broken, but a 
sprain like that is painful. It should be bandaged at 
once. Will some one get my kit of tools from the ship? ” 

“ I’ll go, sir,” and Hugh rushed away, returning in 
a very few moments. The Doctor hunted out his ban- 
dages, and did his work so skillfully that the color came 
back into Helen’s cheeks, and she was able to smile into 
the concerned faces all about her. 

“ Now,” said the Doctor, “ if some of you brawny 
young fellows will lift her to the carriage, I think the 
worst is over. A few weeks’ rest at most, will put you 
on your feet again, Miss Ormesby.” 

Fred and Hugh made a sailor’s chair for her, and 
she was very gently deposited on the long seat, her mother 
147 


HELEN ORMESBY 


beside her, while the girls shifted about, two of them 
crowding into the coupe with Mr. Ormesby. 

It was only when safely in bed, with the girls hover- 
ing about her, that a look of dismay crossed Helen’s face. 

“ What are we to do ! ” she groaned. “ How will 
we ever get through the tableaux ! ” 

“ Steady, Captain, we’re all here,” said Sylvia, “ and 
it’s only an ankle, your head-piece is all right.” 

“ And you can boss us just as usual,” added Jo- 
sephine, “ so don’t worry.” 

“ You’ve just ceased to be a walking delegate for a 
while, but you’ll be very interesting, wait and see,” 
prophesied Ruth. Then, at a sign from Mrs. Ormesby, 
they said “ Good night ” and trooped away, to get what 
sleep they could, before the dav began in earnest. 


CHAPTER IX 


H ELEN’S accident kept her in her room for several 
days, for it was quite impossible for her to put 
her foot to the ground, but she was far from 
lonely, and made a most interesting invalid, clad in one 
of her daintiest tea gowns and enthroned upon her 
lounge. Exquisite flowers turned the place into a 
veritable bower, for each member of the Ward Room 
Mess seemed to hold himself personally responsible 
for the damaged ankle, while the poor little “ Middies,” 
who broke down the stair-rail, sent a floral offering 
worthy of an alderman’s funeral. How Helen went 
on when it came, and how she and the girls laughed 
as they concocted a composite letter of thanks, and 
then tore the emblematic sheaf of flowers apart, and 
filled every available vase and bowl with the gorgeous 
roses and the masses of violets. 

“ Now you can get some faint idea of what it will be 
when you die,” said Ruth pleasantly, “ dozens of wreaths, 
and pillows of white roses, and broken columns, and 
perhaps a lyre and a harp, and — ” a plump sofa pillow, 
fired by Elsie, nipped the rest of this graphic description. 
Ruth caught this missile dexterously, and bowed politely. 
“ Thanks for the gentle reminder, which reminds me. 
Ann sends her compliments, regrets that you were unable 
to assume your accustomed duties in her department this 
morning, and begs for the privilege of serving your 
luncheon in person to-day. She looked mysterious, as if 
she had made something especially delectable.” 

149 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ How are things going ? ” asked Helen anxiously. 

“ Everything on greased wheels/’ declared Sylvia. 
“ You’d be perfectly astonished, Helen. We’re beginning 
to fit in so nicely, that the whole house machinery seems 
to work itself.” 

“ I’ll be limping around soon to take a survey, and 
meantime, after to-day, I’ll do the mending and darn- 
ing. Now listen to what Miss Burne-Elliot says about 
the tableaux and the new Romeo in particular,” and 
Helen took a thin blue envelope from the pile on the 
table beside her. 

My dear Miss Helen : 

Romeo came up yesterday, bearing your note of in- 
troduction, and while I was sorry for the accident which 
prevented your coming with him, I was glad to get him 
by himself, for after his first attempt with me, his 
natural shyness wore away, and with the second and 
third attempts, Romeo came out finely. I think some 
half-dozen rehearsals will put us quite straight. And 
now for your poor self ; it is too bad you cannot come 
to me for consultation; but if you like, I will be very 
glad to come to you — say Thursday afternoon, and tell 
Miss Ruth that I trust she has taken my advice, and if 
so, I am most anxious to hear the result. 

On Thursday, then, if I hear nothing to the con- 
trary. 

Sincerely yours, 

Constance Burne-Elliot. 

“ Ruth, what have you been doing? ” and Helen laid 
down the note, with the air of an inquisitor, for Ruth 
turned the color of a peony, under the scrutiny of her 
comrades. 

“ Nothing much,” she said hurriedly. “ You see, the 
day after the dance you sent me over to explain to Miss 
Burne-Elliot about the accident and to ask her when it 


HELEN ORMESBY 


would be convenient to see Mr. Langley. I had to wait 
a few minutes, for she had gone to a large reception, and 
she came in perfectly disgusted with society in general 
and particular. She reminded me, I told her, of a stormy 
goddess at war with the earth. She laughed when I said 
that, and we fell to discussing the tableaux. Then sud- 
denly an idea popped into my head, a writing idea, and 
before I knew it I had blurted it out to Miss Burne-Elliot. 
She said — well, never mind what she said. Tve been 
putting it clumsily together ever since, and maybe I can 
get it in shape to read aloud when she comes on Thurs- 
day. That’s all,” and Ruth dismissed the subject with 
a wave of her hands. 

“ It’s sorry I am ye’re laid up, Miss Helen,” and Ann’s 
portly presence quite filled the doorway. She was carry- 
ing a large silver tray, an unusual burden for the auto- 
crat of the kitchen, who was accustomed to bearers her- 
self. “ It’s waffles I’m bringin’, me own specials, an’ I 
was thinkin’ you’d like a fust hand report of the doin’s 
below. There isn’t none of ’em has your head, Miss 
Helen, though they do try, I’ll say that,” and Ann set the 
tray on the little table, and lifted the cover from the piping 
plate of waffles. 

Helen shifted herself with some difficulty, resting the 
injured foot on a high stool, and greedily eyed the tempt- 
ing fare. 

“ Best eat it while it’s hot,” suggested Ann. “ I’ve 
left Miss Elsie and Miss Alice in charge, an’ I ain’t 
so fearful things’ll go wrong. Cookin’ seems born in 
some folks; them two has it, and why? Because they 
don’t keep their pretty heads stuffed full of other things 
while they’re in the kitchen. There’s Miss Ruth now, 
good enough cook when she tries to be, beatin’ up a 
omelette yesterday for lunching. ‘Ann/ she says, ‘how 
I5i 


HELEN ORMESBY 


do you make ambrosia? * * Oh, go long,’ ses I, ‘ it’s ome- 
lette ye’re attendin’ to now, you can’t think of two things 
to oncet.’ An’ do ye think she was ashamed ? Not a mite, 
she just laughed an’ owned up she was dreamin’ like. It’s 
a livin’ wonder she didn’t spile that omelette; she has 
fool’s luck about her cookin’, but when her an’ Miss 
Sylvia gits together, my land! I feel like throwin’ up 
the sponge, as the fighters say. Then another team is 
Miss Josephine an’ Miss Edith, they come down one 
night to help me with dinner, an’ they’d been a-hearin’ 
some grand music in the afternoon.” 

“ Oh, yes ! the Philharmonic Concert,” said Helen, 
poising a delicious morsel on her fork. “ Go on, Ann, 
what did they do ? ” 

"Well, Miss Josephine got to talkin’ about one piece 
they played (an’ me with my chickens in the oven an’ she 
a-bastin’ of ’em) an’ she takes her greasy spoon an’ 
waves it in the air, keepin’ time, an’ Miss Edith, with a 
potato on a fork a-parin’ of it, stops dead short to hum 
a tune ; them cooks isn’t born, an’ it’s mighty hard work 
makin’ ’em, they’re willin’ enough, the dear knows, 
an’ they take aTl my tongue-lashin’ like you said they 
would, but I can’t tell you half the queer things they do, 
you wouldn’t believe it. I’d laugh sometimes if I didn’t 
get so mad on top of it,” and Ann’s jolly laugh rang 
out now. "Tell you what it is, Miss Helen, it’s fine train- 
in’ for me, if it don’t do nothin’ else, it’ll make me easy 
on the little kitchen maids when they gits fashionable 
again; for the life of me, I can’t give my new help the 
Tartar sauce I used to give in the old bossy days; it don’t 
come natural somehow.” 

"Yet we’re learning, don’t you think?” asked Helen 
anxiously, lingering over the last morsels of her waffle. 

152 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ To be sure/’ said Ann condescendingly, “ not to 
say,” with a chuckle, “ that I could give yez a recommend 
for a place, but yez could fill in fine if the rale cook got 
took off suddint.” 

“ Good ! ” cried Helen, “ that’s what we want. I do 
feel that we’re getting on ; thanks for the treat, Ann, your 
waffles were good.” 

Ann looked at her wistfully, “ I’m not sayin’ it for 
perkin’ you up, Miss Helen, but there’s grand cooks 
wasted along of you an’ them little twins. I don’t think 
even a husband could make yez spile things,” and Ann 
departed with the air of having conferred the Victoria 
Cross, while Helen had her laugh out. 

Miss Burne-Elliot came promptly on Thursday after- 
noon. The early December snow was falling, and she 
shook the powdery flakes from her long fur coat as she 
mounted the steps of the Ormesby mansion. Josephine 
was on duty this afternoon, and Miss Burne-Elliot ex- 
claimed with delight as the beautiful interior met her 
gaze, and she stood in the immense foyer measuring it 
with her critical eyes. 

“ I had no idea it was all so imposing and so spa- 
cious,” she said. “ We can build our entertainment on a 
larger scale than I anticipated. How is the invalid ? ” 

“ Blooming, thank you, outside of a bandaged ankle, 
which keeps her tied at home. To-morrow, I believe, 
Jerry is to carry her downstairs and she is to go driving. 
Will you come up? You may take the lift or try the 
stairs,” she added smiling. 

“ The stairs, please, they wind so gracefully and the 
curve here makes a perfect balcony for Juliet. You see, 
I am eying the whole thing professionally, and I’m a 
close observer. Ah, this is Mrs. Ormesby ! ” she ex- 
153 


HELEN ORMESBY 


claimed, as that lady met her on the broad landing. “ I 
knew Miss Helen had no sister,” she said, in her charm- 
ing way which won her so many friends, “ and the re- 
semblance is so striking there could be no mistake.” 

She followed her hostess into Helen’s pretty room, 
receiving an enthusiastic greeting from all the girls who 
were clustered there. Helen had been promoted to a 
chair for the occasion; there was a small table at her 
elbow, with a pad and pencil for memoranda, and Miss 
Burne-Elliot dropped into one of her graceful attitudes 
on the sofa. 

“Shall I go away?” Mrs. Ormesby paused at the 
open door. 

“Indeed no!” cried Helen. “You’re the Chairman 
of the House Committee. Everything must be ratified 
by you before we pass a true bill. Does that sound Con- 
gressional enough ? ” 

“ You talk like a bit of red tape,” said Mrs. Ormesby 
laughing, as she too joined the circle, “ so I suppose it 
must be all right.” 

Miss Burne-Elliot was full of most original plans and 
suggestions, and the little pad was soon covered with 
all sorts of interesting notes and jottings, while the girls’ 
brains were teeming with ideas. 

After several novelties had been discussed, Miss 
Burne-Elliot said, with a smile and a meaning glance at 
Ruth: 

“ I’m going to propose something rather classic in 
outline, and if Miss Ruth has carried out a certain orig- 
inal idea she confided to me, I think we will have a very 
unique climax to our entertainment.” 

Ruth fidgeted and an unusual shyne-ss came over her. 
“ I hate to read my things,” she said, “ but if you will 
have it, here goes ! ” and she opened a thin manuscript 
154 


HELEN ORMESBY 


that she had cleverly kept hidden from view until this 
moment. 


RECEPTION DAY AT OLYMPUS 


she announced, then as the title created quite a little stir 
among her mates, she went on in a firmer voice : 

Jove nodded; there was nothing so remarkable in 
that — he had often nodded before; but this time Juno 
looked at her lord and master suspiciously out of the 
tajl of her eye, for she herself was fearfully bored. 
The reception had been a tedious one, an endless pro- 
cession of family connections, an aimless exchange of 
meaningless Olympian civilities, a constant fear of some 
family quarrel breaking out among the assembled guests. 
She had been under a great strain, and just when she 
felt that she might safely relax a little, she had sud- 
denly discovered that Jove was nodding — indeed, the 
august eyes were closed, and the majestic head swayed 
gently under the spell of Morpheus, who, as Juno knew, 
was hidden somewhere in the motley gathering. 

“Jupiter, my dear,” she whispered, administering a 
conjugal pinch, “you really must rouse yourself ; our 
guests are beginning to go, I'm glad to say, for I’m per- 
fectly exhausted. This sitting in royal state is no fun; 
all the interest seems centered in that punch-bowl in the 
cloud-room. Bacchus made the brew, and he’s getting 
dreadfully drunk. I’m surprised at Hebe; she and 
Ganymede have passed around the cup until there won’t 
be a steady head in Olympus. I’ll give them both a 
piece of my mind to-morrow.” 

Jove opened his eyes and stretched himself sleepily: 
“I wish this confounded thing was over — what’s the 
good, anyhow ! You meet everybody at receptions that 
you don’t care to see anywhere else.” 

“Oh, one must be in the swim,” said Juno. 

“Leave that to Neptune,” Jove was inclined to be 

155 


11 


HELEN ORMESBY 


facetious. “Look at him now, sporting around as if 
he didn’t have a care in the world. Seriously, my dear, 
if you insist upon giving receptions, try to entertain your 
guests, then you won’t be bored yourself.” 

“ I quite agree with you, Father,” said a woman’s 
voice at his shoulder, and Minerva appeared, leaning 
wearily upon her shield. “I’m tired to death; I’d rather 
be in forty pitched battles than listen another hour to 
all that silly chatter,” and she pointed with her spear 
toward the cloud-room. “Diana is serving ambrosia at 
one of the tables, and Venus is pouring nectar at the 
other. Something ought to be done to Venus — she 
makes me furious — there she sits in open flirtation with 
Mars, right under Vulcan’s nose; if I was her hus- 
band—” 

“ Hush, child, hush ! ” said Jupiter. “ They must 
amuse themselves at this deadly function — what else 
can one do?” 

“Hebe and Ganymede seem to be having the time of 
their lives,” pursued Minerva, “and that horrid little 
Cupid is the greatest nuisance I ever saw — treading on 
people’s toes — shooting off his arrows — and getting in 
everyone’s way.” 

“How are things going in there?” asked Mrs. Juno 
anxiously. 

“Fast enough; they’ve just sent out Mercury for 
more grape- juice; that’s all people want at receptions. 
Smile upon them, shake hands with them, and pass them 
on to be fed.” 

“Why don’t you make them do things?” suggested 
Jove. “Apollo plays remarkably well, and some of the 
nymphs have good voices, and the muses could all take 
a turn at something.” 

Juno tossed her head impatiently. “Indeed, no; 
I’ve been to too many of those stupid things. Ceres 
gave one last week, and recited a harvest poem of her 
own making. Look at her over there, Minerva; isn’t 
she a frump? Think of yellow for her complexion — 
and did you ever see such draperies — so bunchy and 
clumsy — so — so much of them, in fact?” 

“It is better to err on the safe side,” observed Mi- 

156 


HELEN ORMESBY 


nerva, severely, gazing with disapproving blue eyes at 
some of the guests. 

Jove put up his hand to hide a smile; his clever 
daughter amused him greatly. By this time the com- 
pany began to stream from the cloud-room toward their 
host and hostess. 

“Such a charming afternoon, dear Juno,” said Venus 
airily. “Cupid tells me my sea-shell and dolphins are at 
the door. I won’t wait for Vulcan, he’s too heavy for 
my light equipage. Good-by, good-by, Minerva.” 

That grave lady turned away abruptly as Apollo and 
his sister paused for their adieus. 

“We are so sorry to leave so early,” began Diana; 
“but Apollo is due at a concert, and he wouldn’t go 
without me — so glad we came — good-by.” 

Jove was growing restless with the vanishing of the 
guests. Of all the gay throng, only Pluto and his fair 
wife, Proserpine, and Neptune and his wife, Amphi- 
trite, remained for a few last words with their brother 
and the fair Juno, and their favorite niece, Minerva. 

Jove was tired and cross, and Juno’s temper was 
decidedly sour. “Don’t talk to me about receptions!” 
cried Jove. “Of all the inane, stupid, god-forsaken 
things — ” 

“Hold, hold!” said Neptune. “Don’t commit your- 
self, brother; my reception takes place before another 
moon.” 

“Where, where?” asked Jove, running his hands 
through his long wavy hair. 

“In my new palace — it will be a brilliant function.” 

“And my reception comes right after,” said Pluto. 
“Proserpine always likes a welcome from her friends, 
when she comes on her yearly visit.” 

Jove and Juno looked at each other with blank, 
despairing faces, until Minerva stooped and whispered 
to her father. Jove leaned back and laughed until the 
heavens shook. Then he jumped up and grasped his 
brothers’ hands. 

“All right, old fellows,” he said, “Juno and I will 
come with pleasure. You’ve chosen the most appropri- 
ate spots in which to hold such carnivals — at the bot- 
157 


HELEN ORMESBY 


tom of the sea, and in the realm of Hades — bravo! My 
spouse and I accept upon the spot.” 

Again Jove leaned back, his thundering voice pealing 
forth in merriment, and this time Juno joined in the 
laugh. 

There was a round of very genuine applause as Ruth 
ended her little paper, and Miss Burne-Elliot’s musical 
laughter was good to hear. 

“Wise old Jupiter!” she said, “I echo his senti- 
ments ; his definition of a reception, as a function at 
which you meet everybody you don’t want to see else- 
where, is delicious.” 

“ Ruth was just a trifle too refined in one sentence,” 
said Sylvia critically. “ Speaking of all people want at 
receptions, she suggests ‘ smile upon them, shake hands 
with them, and pass them on to be fed ; ’ my brother Jack 
told me the other day that among his own particular 
cronies, the watchwords at a reception were 4 gabble, 
gobble, and git.’ ” 

This sally produced such a gale of laughter that Helen 
had to rap for order. 

“ What struck me,” said Miss Burne-Elliot, “ was the 
classical tone of the whole thing and the pretty pictures 
we could make by doing the little skit in pantomime.” 

“ But would our acting explain things enough ? ” 
asked Helen anxiously, “ Ruth’s sentences are so clever 
it’s a pity to lose them.” 

“We won’t ; some one behind the scenes shall read 
the piece as an accompaniment to the acting, and with 
practice the two will go very well together. There are, 
of course, several pauses the reader will have to make, 
in order to give the pantomime more Scope ; for instance, 
when the guests begin to take leave, there must be quite 
a long stop until in reality all the guests file out, and this 

158 


HELEN ORMESBY 


will make a most effective scene. What you girls have to 
do, is to review your Mythology, and study old pictures 
for the costumes, select your caste for the principal parts, 
and leave a wide margin for the chorus of guests. Now 
I think we are fairly well equipped for an excellent pro- 
gram, Mrs. Ormesby. Of course Miss Josephine’s violin 
will do duty in the interludes, and perhaps we may count 
on one song from Miss Helen. I’ve never heard her, 
she is so modest.” 

“No one will care much for anything save the grand 
finale,” said Helen, “ I’m putting the balcony scene last 
on the program, to hold the people in their seats, Miss 
Burne-Elliot.” But nevertheless, Helen flushed with 
pleasure. She loved to sing, and in these busy days of 
adjustment and planning, she had given very little time 
to the really beautiful voice ; now she would have to prac- 
tice, a treat she had often denied herself of late, and 
her troublesome ankle, which deprived her of the active 
exercise in which the “ Seven ” indulged would give 
her ample time for preparation. 

The meeting broke up in a jolly little tea, and when 
Miss Burne-Elliot finally left, it was decided that the 
entertainment should take place some evening of the week 
preceding Christmas, as the great actress would be off 
duty and could all the better devote her time to it. 

Then began a busy period for the “ Seven,” and each 
girl, at Helen’s suggestion, adopted a little private sched- 
ule system, in order that the daily routine work might 
not be interfered with by the pressure of coming events. 

Hugh and his mates took unflagging interest in all 
the preparations, and Fred dug among the very archives 
of Columbia for old prints and copies of famous pic- 
tures which might help them in their costumes. Kitty 
and Will were wild with excitement, for they had been 
159 


HELEN ORMESBY 


chosen unanimously for the parts of Hebe and Ganymede 
in Ruth’s pantomime, and were constantly posing and 
practicing in the privacy of their small apartment. Even 
Rita had not been forgotten, for Ruth had asked her to 
be the reader of her little Olympian Comedy. 

“ Oh, I — I couldn’t ! ” cried Rita, flushing painfully. 

“ And why not ? ” demanded Ruth, “ your voice is 
clear, and with Miss Burne-Elliot to train you, what more 
could we want ! ” 

“ Besides,” added Helen slyly, “ there’ll be a chance 
to loosen your hair from its moorings. Mr. Trent told 
me it was a rippling mass of gold.” 

“ Yes, Philip says that, like Samson, all my strength 
lies in my hair. I’m afraid he’s right, yet I should hate 
to part with it; but I won’t be seen, of course.” 

“ I’m not so sure,” said Ruth, her head on one side, 
“ the classic garments would be very becoming, we could 
have you perched high like a Vestal Virgin, in one corner 
of the stage, curtained off from the main scene, and you 
could read the manuscript as if it was a scroll, just like 
the draped figure we see representing history ; she always 
has a scroll in her hands, you know.” 

They were holding their millinery class in Helen’s 
room, as the ankle was still too stiff to permit her to go 
up and down stairs, and it was really wonderful to see 
the strides the girls had made in a few short weeks. 
Those among the “ Seven ” who took to it naturally, were 
fast becoming experts, while the others had learned to 
follow where their clever little teacher led them. 

Rita took great pride in her pupils, with the result 
that not only did the girls supply themselves with pretty 
and becoming hats for every occasion, but Rita found 
her own hands full in off hours, for Mrs. Ormesby soon 
160 


HELEN ORMESBY 


interested her friends, by exhibiting her own dainty head- 
gear, and orders came fast from many quarters. 

Of course on this special afternoon, the one topic was 
the approaching entertainment, and when the lesson was 
over, Helen decided that her airing should be across the 
Park with Rita. Mrs. Trent had offered to lend them a 
great old-fashioned, heavily gilded picture frame, for the 
tableaux had resolved themselves into a series of living 
ancestral portraits, and this frame, which had once held 
a priceless “ old Master ” was exactly what they wanted. 

“ I'll try the fit of it,” said Helen, “ and if I feel that 
I can adjust my blessed Dame Prudence to such a setting, 
I’ll get Fred to cart it home for us in the big wagon, 
next Saturday.” 

“ I’m glad you are coming over,” said Rita, when 
John had carefully closed the carriage door, “ it may be 
that I am a bit nervous, but Mrs. Trent doesn’t seem very 
well ; not that she complains, but she has looked so frail 
and shadowy of late, that I felt that Philip ought to 
know, so I wrote him last week.” 

“ Have you heard from him? ” asked Helen. 

“ Not directly, but Mrs. Trent received a letter from 
him this morning, which amounts to the same thing. He 
wrote that he is very tired, as the College work this first 
term has been strenuous, and he has obtained a leave of 
absence for a couple of months, as he needs resting and 
coddling.” 

“ How nice of him ! Then his mother will have no 
suspicion that he is coming home entirely on her account.” 

“ None in the least, she is just anxious about him , and 
full of plans for his coming; he told her to expect him at 
any time, and I think she looks better already. I’m so 
glad I wrote,” added Rita simply. 

161 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ So am I,” said Helen quickly, and then the two 
girls fell silent, while the carriage rattled over the frozen 
pavement, and from the shadow of her corner, little Rita 
glanced at her companion. 

It might have been only her fancy, but she thought 
she saw an eager light in the brown eyes, and a smile 
playing about the corners of her mouth, and she won- 
dered and smiled too in sympathy, for Rita, from her 
secluded niche, looked out upon a world which she found 
full of poetry and romance, and built her little castles in 
the air quite “unbeknownst.” She never dwelt in them 
herself, they were always for others, poor little lame 
Rita! But she took great delight in looking through 
the windows. 

“ Are you sure vou are able to come upstairs ? ” asked 
Rita as the carriage drew up before the door. 

Helen turned and laid her hand on the small one 
grasping the crutch : “ You do it all the time,” she said 
gently. “ I only have a stiff ankle, and John can help me 
quite nicely to the elevator; after that there will be no 
trouble, I’ll soon be able to discard even this thin cane.” 

In answer to their ring, the girls could hear a quick 
step from within, and the next moment a tall young 
man had flung open the door, and stood on the threshold 
with outstretched hands and a look of pleasure in the 
keen dark eyes. 

“ Philip ! ” cried Rita, turning quite pale with excite- 
ment. 

“ Yes, I came just after you left, and Mother and I 
have been gossiping ever since. When the bell rang 
Mother exclaimed : ‘ There’s Rita ! ’ but I didn’t expect 
this double surprise. Don’t stand on the weak ankle, 
Miss Helen ; you see I know all about it, but come in and 
solve the mystery of this vast picture frame. It used to 
162 


HELEN ORMESBY 


hang in our library in the old days, the residence of an 
old Rembrandt, which went with many other treasures 
when the time came. The dealer didn’t want the frame 
it seems. Let me help you — ” and Helen was glad to 
lean on his arm as he guided her down the hall, for she, 
too, owned to a moment’s excitement, and the ankle 
turned “ wobbly ” almost against her will. 

“ I know your Mother is delighted to have you home,” 
she said, for the sake of saying something, for the dark 
eyes were bent upon her in the most disconcerting way. 

“ Yes,” he answered quietly, “ she is glad; she needs 
me. You will see why,” and he pulled aside the portiere 
for her to enter the quaint, old-fashioned parlor. 

Helen was indeed startled at the change in the beau- 
tiful, delicate face, as Mrs. Trent came forward to meet 
her. She could not tell exactly what it was, only the 
eyes were bigger than when she saw them last, and there 
were heavy, dark shadows beneath them, as if from sleep- 
lessness, but the smile was as sweet as ever, and she was 
much concerned over the lame ankle. 

“ Draw up that big chair, Philip, and do sit down, my 
dear. I have the frame all ready, you see. I’d love to 
look at some of the portraits that are to smile within it.” 

“ Perhaps you will come and see for yourself,” said 
Helen. “We thought at first of Marie Antoinette and her 
Court, the beautiful powdered ladies make very effective 
pictures, but Miss Burne-Elliot thought simpler subjects 
would be better. All of us have ancestors, and we are 
all raking up old portraits and mementoes — oh, you’ll 
see.” 

“ No, I fear not ; the lights and the crowd will not be 
good for me, but I have some rare bits of lace and old 
brocades — even the regulation red velvet curtain for a 
background.” 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Perhaps we will borrow Mr. Trent too,” said Helen, 
“ another man is much needed in our ranks, and while 
he is not exactly an antique, we might make a classic 
study out of him. Hugh and I, of course, will pose as 
the old Cavalier and his Puritan wife; Josephine comes 
of Quaker stock, and so it goes. The girls have been 
haunting the libraries and looking up their genealogies; 
the twins have written home for pictures of their great 
grandmother, who was a dark-eyed Southern beauty, and 
we are busy with our fingers doing all sorts of things 
to make the entertainment a success, with as little outlay 
as possible. Oh, I’m becoming a great financier; you 
wouldn’t recognize me,” she laughed, turning to Philip. 

“ You always had a head for mathematics,” he said 
smiling. 

“ Well, I seem to be extracting the square root of 
things at every turn,” she answered merrily. “Now let 
me get within the compass of that wonderful old frame, 
and you shall judge the effect.” 

“ Wait, don’t move,” cried Philip, “ I’ll bring it over. 
Your pose is so fine just where you are.” 

The assistance of the trim maid was called, and to- 
gether they lifted the frame; which was quite large 
enough to embrace the girlish figure, armchair and all, 
while Mrs. Trent and Rita stood off to get a broader view 
of the picture. 

“ Do I look like an oil painting? ” asked Helen. 

“Wonderfully so, the flesh tints are quite natural,” 
said Rita. 

“And with all the accessories, and the glamor of 
stage setting, it will be almost lifelike,” added Philip 
encouragingly. 

“Then I’m sure the others will be satisfied. Mrs. 
Trent, I hate to run away, but until my ankle is all right 
164 


HELEN ORMESBY 


I'm on a sort of probation, and must report at home 
promptly.” 

“ Never mind, my dear, perhaps while Philip is with 
me, you may be able to run over for an afternoon. As it 
is, I cannot let you drive over alone, when my great boy 
would be glad to see you safely across the Park.” 

“ But John and Jerry are quite enough protection,” 
objected Helen. 

“ Still it will be a pleasure for me,” said Philip simply, 
and he had his way, for a few moments later they were 
rolling along the Park Drive, and chatting as freely as 
they used to do in the old College days. He was deeply 
interested in the newly found work of the “ Seven,” and 
Helen talked unrestrainedly of their hopes and plans, for 
there was something about this grave young fellow that 
inspired confidence. 

“ And you,” she asked, “ isn’t there some professor- 
ship looming up for you somewhere ? ” 

“ Not in the College at present, and I try not to look 
beyond just now. I am worried about my mother; that 
is why I am here, you know.” 

“ Yes, Rita told me,” said Helen gently. “ I am so 
sorry.” 

“ There seems to be nothing the matter, but a general 
weakness, and her heart I think, and we are so alone in 
the world, she and I,” he broke off and covered his face 
with his hand for a moment. 

“ You must not think of such things now,” said Helen 
with a tremor in her voice, “ only remember what a 
pleasure it is for her to have you now.” 

“ Yes, I know, I feel that, but Fve seen the Doctor, 
and he tells me that I shall not have her long.” 

The sudden tears filled Helen’s eyes, and she reached 
out her hand. He took it in both of his and held it fast. 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Your sympathy is very sweet to me, how sweet you 
can never know,” he said, then he released her hand and 
talked of other things. “ You’ve told me all about your 
schemes,” be began, “ and I get a general idea of how it 
will benefit the “ Seven,’ but is it a saving to your father 
in his present business crisis, and can you make ends 
meet? That is the point.” 

“ You forget, or probably I didn’t tell you, that the 
girls are paying large fees for their tuition in Domestic 
Economy,” answered Helen, “ and I’ll tell you a secret, 
that only Fred Gayle knows.” 

“Who’s Fred Gayle?” demanded the instructor of 
mathematics sternly. 

“ My man of business at present,” she said gravely, 
though her eyes gleamed with mischief. “ He and Jerry 
and I have been working our Farm, and the secret is, 
that not only has it paid for itself and curtailed our own 
expenses, but profits are coming in, and I have several 
hundreds already in bank, untouched, against a rainy day. 
It’s great fun and no one knows it but Fred, for my idea 
is to spring it upon Daddy when we migrate to the Farm, 
that we won’t need his help at all, during the summer. 
There are opportunities up in the hills that we don’t get 
here, you know, and possibilities in the ‘ Seven ’ even 
you wouldn’t suspect.” 

“ I daresay,” he admitted, smiling at her enthusiasm. 
“ And the music ? ” 

“Josephine keeps her violin busy, but I’ve had to 
push my singing into the background lately. The night 
of the tableaux, I may come out of my shell for a little. 
I half promised Miss Burne-Elliot. Now here we are, 
and if you’ll be so good as to haul me up our short flight 
of steps, Jerry will take you across again, for the stables 
are on the other side, and your house is just on his way.” 
166 


HELEN ORMESBY 


She clung to his arm as he helped her carefully out 
of the carriage, for the ankle still pained her at unex- 
pected times, and the instructor of mathematics lost his 
coolness for a brief moment as she looked up at him. 

“ Good-by,” he said abruptly, holding out his hand 
at the top of the steps. 

“ Good-by,” she answered wondering, “ but you will 
come soon again — ” 

“ As soon as I may, to hear you sing.” 

“ To-morrow, any day, I always like to sing for you,” 
she answered heartily. 

Then he ran down to the carriage, while Mary helped 
her into the house. 


CHAPTER X 


T HE City was a big sheet of snow on the night of the 
Orphans’ entertainment, and as the first scurrying 
flakes came after the day’s traffic had ceased, it lay 
in all its unsullied beauty, save where the car-tracks and 
the ruts made by carriages and automobiles showed dark 
against the feathery whiteness. There was an odd kind 
of hush in the air that snow always brings, and even 
the clanging car-bells and the tooting signals of the 
motors sounded muffled. 

But around the Ormesby home there was no such 
stillness. Carriage after carriage rolled up to the door, 
depositing gay loads, and John and Jerry, off duty for 
the night, stood with umbrellas ready to shield the guests 
from the gusts of snow that blew upon them as they 
touched the pavement. 

Lights glowed behind every filmy curtain in the big 
house, but one was hardly prepared for the vision of 
spring that met the gaze as the great doors swung open. 
The entire lower floor was a wonderland of apple blos- 
soms and wistaria, of snowdrops and yellow jasmine, 
mingled with the pale green of the young leaves. Invol- 
untarily people began to sniff the air for the faint, sweet 
odor these flowers suggested, so natural were they, so 
redolent of the season. Some even ventured to bury 
their noses among the blossoms, only to draw back 
sheepishly, rubbing the aforesaid members with furtive 
hands, for the flowers were made of tissue paper. 

1 68 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Our latest achievement,” explained Sylvia to her 
mother and father, as she piloted them to a seat in the 
great foyer , just in front of Juliet's balcony. “ There’s 
a big concern here that makes nothing but paper novelties. 
Fred Gayle came across it way down town, during one 
of his Saturday afternoon tramps with the children. 
Kitty went mad over it, and teased Fred until he let 
her take some lessons in flower-making; so when we 
were at our wits’ end about decorations, Miss Kitty came 
to the rescue and taught us all she knew. Then we 
swooped down upon the fascinating place and bought 
materials enough to go into business, and here we are,” 
and Sylvia whisked away, for she had no time for con- 
versation even with interested relatives. 

Will was doorkeeper for the occasion, and Kitty, at 
a little table in one corner, took charge of the tickets ; 
indeed the demand for them had been so great that the 
supply had given out, and a hastily fitted pasteboard box 
had served that young woman as a treasury to hold ad- 
mission fees. She had, besides, a calmly commanding 
way of poking a program at each unoffending person 
and demanding a quarter. 

“ Well, I must say you have cheek,” said Will, in one 
of the short pauses between the arrivals, as he saw her 
sweep four silver coins into the gaping jaws of the “treas- 
ury,” “ one program would have done for that family.” 

“We are not here to practice economy,” said Kitty 
with withering scorn. “ I’m going to take in all I can 
rake in. Of course,” airily, “ a mere boy couldn’t do it, 
boys lack what Uncle Fred calls ‘ savory fare ;’ besides, 
people wouldn’t give as easily to boys as to girls.” 

“ We’re not such beggars, that’s why,” fired Will, but 
Kitty only looked at him with a derisive smile as she 
scooped in two more quarters from new arrivals. 

169 


HELEN ORMESBY 


The “ Seven ” had been busy among their friends, 
with the result that some pretty girls had been added to 
their force. Hugh’s ship had supplied several gallant 
youths ; Sylvia succeeded in coaxing her two big brothers 
to help them out; and to cap the climax, Ruth’s little 
family, who happened to be in town for the holidays, 
were showing up in full force on this special evening. 
Her young cowboy brother Allen, somewhat subdued by 
his first year at an Eastern College, had been pressed 
into service for the pantomime, and the ranks of the 
Olympian deities had been pretty well filled by enthu- 
siastic volunteers. 

It was an easy thing for the Ashtons to run over 
from Philadelphia, and of course Edith’s father and 
aunt were sure to be on hand ; but every one felt rather 
sorry for Alice and Elsie, whose only brother was trav- 
eling abroad, and whose Southern home was almost too 
far away to secure interested relatives at a moment’s 
notice. 

One morning, however, they received a telegram from 
their father, which ran as follows : “ Have sent you a 
large package, care of Mr. Morris — Merry Christmas,” 
and they were wild with excitement. Mr. Morris was 
the proprietor of the hotel where their father usually 
stopped when he came to New York, and they lost no 
time in telephoning him. 

“ Yes,” answered Mr. Morris’s clerk, “ a package has 
come; shall I send it up, or wouldn’t it be better if 
you young ladies came down. It would save time, per- 
haps.” 

So down they went, in a flutter, to be met in the ves- 
tibule of the hotel by Mr. Morris himself, who, with a 
mysterious smile, led them into one of the waiting- 
rooms, where they literally fell upon their pretty mother. 

170 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ It was a sudden notion of your father’s,” she ex- 
plained. “ I was just homesick for a glimpse of my girls, 
and he thought this might cure me, so here I am.” 

And there she was, in the midst of the gay crowd, 
looking like a girl herself, and enjoying all the excite- 
ment and bustle of the occasion. 

It is impossible to describe the brilliance of the scene, 
before the curtain was rung up. It was one dazzling 
mass of color and animation. Girls in delicate evening 
gowns, matrons in stately velvets and satins, naval offi- 
cers with a profusion of gold lace and brass buttons, a 
sober sprinkling of masculine blackbirds, a promiscuous 
scattering of younger boys and girls, and gay talk and 
laughter floating through the place. 

The dark curtain was hung between the two stately 
pillars at the far end of the hall, embracing the beautiful 
curve of the landing, where Juliet was to look down into 
the eyes of her Romeo, and there was the usual hush of 
expectancy when it was drawn apart by Kitty and Will 
on either side, while some unseen hand secured it from 
behind. Josephine and her violin opened the entertain- 
ment, and the girl — in her simple white gown — made an 
attractive and appealing picture. She forgot herself and 
all about her as her bow touched the strings, or she held 
it poised, listening for the notes of Mrs. Ormesby’s del- 
icate accompaniment, for she had been prevailed upon 
to lend this much of active service to the occasion. More 
than one heart melted as the tender strains reached them, 
and Hugh, behind the scenes, gaily garbed as his Cav- 
alier ancestor, pulled his hat over his face, so that the 
drooping plumes quite hid it, and furtively wiped his eyes 
when his emotions overcame him. 

The Ancestral Portraits were a great success. The 
frame was mounted on an easel, so concealed by heavy 
12 171 


HELEN ORMESBY 


draperies of red velvet that the portrait might seem to be 
hung against a velvet wall. Miss Burne-Elliot volun- 
teered to introduce each portrait with a short biograph- 
ical sketch, and there was quite a flutter of excitement as 
she came gracefully forward, pointer in hand. 

“ The Head of the House of Ormesby ” naturally 
came first, and those who knew the portrait were sur- 
prised at the accurate details which had not been for- 
gotten in Hugh’s costume. 

Helen, as Dame Prudence, wore the historic garnet 
upon her Puritan bosom, and the others were all ad- 
mirable as portraits, while Miss Burne-Elliot’s running 
comments kept the audience in a ripple of laughter. 

The lights, for which Fred Gayle was responsi- 
ble, were so admirably arranged that each living 
picture seemed to glow in its setting, and the girls, 
in their quaint costumes, were very charming, while 
the men, in their wigs and knee breeches, were no less 
effective. 

Will and Kitty were so fascinated over the portrait 
idea that Miss Burne-Elliot suggested that they might 
pose for the only fanciful subjects in the collection, so 
Kitty made a most bewitching Dolly Varden, while Will, 
who insisted that the Prince must appear, was allowed 
to represent one of the famous Van Dyck pictures, of a 
boy and a dog. He looked very effective in his velvet 
suit, with his blonde wig curling on his shoulders, and 
his broad lace collar and cuffs, while one hand rested 
lightly on the setter’s curly head. The Prince had been 
thoroughly drilled for this most striking picture, but the 
brilliant lights and the sea of faces in front of him had 
not originally been part of his program, and, after the 
first breathless moment, he rose up on his indignant legs 
and barked at the intruders. This quite upset the grav- 
172 


HELEN ORMESBY 


ity of his Van Dyck master, and the curtain was hastily 
dropped. 

The portraits had been an excellent interlude for 
the pantomime, and by the time Will’s little sensation 
had subsided, Olympus had been swept and garnished 
for its reception, and under Miss Burne-Elliot’s careful 
supervision the scene was a picture. 

To the right of the stage in a curtained recess, yet 
quite visible, resting on what seemed to be a rocky emi- 
nence, sat Rita, her golden hair shimmering over her 
white robes, her hands gracefully holding the scroll. On 
the other side of her rose the Olympian throne, on which 
sat Hugh and Helen, as the reigning god and goddess. 
Edith Carlyle, whose blue eyes entitled her to the part 
of Minerva, stood nearby leaning on her shield. A cur- 
tain at the far corner was supposed to shut off the Cloud- 
room, and through this the guests were to approach the 
royal pair. Jove looked really magnificent in his curling 
leonine wig and his classic draperies, and Juno's bronze 
head with its golden crown rose proudly from her white 
neck and shoulders. 

Rita read the text delightfully and the pantomime 
went smoothly to its finish, for the gods and goddesses 
were better on the stage than in the mythologies, and re- 
ceived great applause, as they wandered one by one from 
the Cloud-room. They had all been well trained by 
Miss Burne-Elliot, and chimed in with the reading, in a 
way quite wonderful to the audience. 

Ruth would modestly have withdrawn from the caste, 
but no one would hear of this, so she contented herself 
with mingling among the Muses. Elsie and Sylvia, as 
Venus and Diana, dispensed nectar and ambrosia from 
the Cloud-room. Josephine made a stately Ceres, in 
spite of her “ frumpy ” draperies, and Alice looked a 
173 


HELEN ORMESBY 


charming Proserpine , as, leaning on the arm of Pluto, 
she swept her classic curtsey before the Olympian 
throne. 

Fred Gayle, as Bacchus, kept Ganymede and Hebe 
busy passing little glass punch-cups of his beverage 
among the guests. Allen Edgerton was Mercury, while 
one of the young lieutenants posed as Apollo. They 
tried to press Philip Trent into service, but he laugh- 
ingly shook his head. 

“ I’m a perfect duffer at such things/’ he declared, 
“ and would spoil the whole picture with my awkward- 
ness. Let me help behind the scenes, please, and enjoy 
it all from the front.” 

So he became Miss Burne-Elliot’s “ right-hand ” 
man, and made himself a patient groom to the fuming 
gods in the dressing-room, who found that short tunics 
and classic folds of drapery, and wreaths and crowns 
and helmets upon their shorn locks, were most embar- 
rassing and disconcerting articles of dress. Then he 
came around among the spectators and applauded the 
really beautiful picture as it passed to the stately meas- 
ure of Rita’s reading. 

He slipped into a shadowy corner when the pageant 
was over, for Helen’s songs were next on the pro- 
gram, and he wanted to enjoy them. He wanted to 
feast his eyes upon the face of the girl, who, in some in- 
definable way, had come to occupy so much of his 
thoughts; he wanted to revel unmolested in the pure 
melody of her rich voice, and he was not surprised that 
Shakespere’s little lyrics should have been the selection. 

“ Who is Sylvia ” rang out beautifully to Mrs. 
Ormesby’s accompaniment and Josephine’s obligato, and 
“ Hark, Hark, the Lark,” was a serenade worth listening 
to. Helen’s voice came as a revelation to most of her 
174 


HELEN ORMESBY 


friends. The applause was really so deafening when 
she finished that it almost frightened her, so she fled to 
her own room, to bury her burning face for a moment 
among the pillows on her bed. Here Ruth found her, 
and no amount of coaxing could get her back for an 
encore. 

“ Don’t you want to hear all the splendid things they 
are saying about you, you silly old Chief ? ” said Ruth, 
giving her a little shake. 

“ No, I don’t — at least not now,” declared Helen, 
sitting up on her bed, and straightening a disarranged 
lock or so. 

“ Why, old Mr. Marvin said — and he knows — that 
you have concert work ahead of you.” 

“ Pshaw ! that’s partiality ; he used to take me for 
Sunday walks when I was a dot of a girl.” 

“ And Madame Jeteau — ” 

“ Nonsense ! she scents a new pupil.” 

“ You may be right,” said Ruth ruminatively, “ for 
methinks her very words bespoke as much. ‘ Oh, mon 
Dieu ! ’ she cried, rolling her eyes, ‘ the privilege it would 
be,’ then I rushed behind the scenes, to find Miss Burne- 
Elliot one wild bundle of enthusiasm, and as for Mr. 
Trent — ” 

“ What did he say ? ” asked Helen eagerly. 

Ruth gave one of her keen, quick looks over her 
glasses. 

“Nothing at all — which, in the study of mathematics, 
might be denoted by x> the unknown quantity, though 
it might stand for ^pression,” she added wickedly. 

Helen rose up and shook her. 

“ Don’t be foolish, but tell me if they’re ready for 
the balcony scene. I want to slip in when the lights are 
low.” 


175 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Come behind first, and see Juliet , she looks lovely, 
and Romeo , in a blonde and curled wig, is superb.” 

“ No,” said Helen, scenting an ambush, “ go on ; I’ll 
come later.” 

And presently, when she deemed the coast clear and 
slipped down the stairs, she found Philip Trent waiting 
at the foot. 

“ My word, the first of all,” he said quietly, as he 
drew her hand through his arm. “No singing stirs me 
like yours.” 

“Surely you have heard but little,” she answered, 
trying to speak lightly. 

“No, I have heard a great deal — and greater voices 
— but none so sweet — in my ears,” and there was some- 
thing in his low tone that sent Helen’s blood dancing in 
her cheeks. She was glad that the darkness covered 
her momentary confusion, and she could slip, unnoticed, 
into the seat he had saved for her. 

Then the curtain was raised for the last time, and 
the audience listened spellbound to the oft-told tale. 
The exquisite art of the great actress was surely at 
its best, and John Langley, inspired by the thrill 
of passion in the wonderful voice, surprised even his 
intimates. 

“ I didn’t know it was in you, Johnny,” said Hugh, 
at the close of the performance, while the big house re- 
sounded with the bustle and confusion of the departing 
audience. 

“ I didn’t know it myself,” said young Langley, mop- 
ping his heated brow. “ It’s Miss Burne-Elliot — she 
could train an ape, I believe.” 

“ Don’t believe him,” said Miss Burne-Elliot, “ she 
wouldn’t. Such a Romeo is wasted in the Navy.” 

“ Unfortunately, my country calls me,” said John 
176 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Langley, flushing to his very wig over the hearty com- 
pliment. 

Altogether, the entertainment was an unparalleled 
success, and when the last guests had departed the actors 
and patrons of the performance sat down to a delicious 
“ cold bite,” which the “ Seven ” had prepared in off 
moments, and Mrs. Ormesby made a little speech to all 
who had so generously helped her. 

“ I feel more than satisfied,” she concluded, “ and to 
Miss Burne-Elliot I think a special vote of thanks might 
be extended.” 

But that gracious lady brushed it all aside. “If you 
only knew,” she said, “ what a delight the whole thing 
has been to me, you would never mention gratitude 
again. It was like renewing my girlhood in watching 
and helping these girls. We actresses, who really love 
our profession, sacrifice much on its altar; this little ex- 
perience has been an oasis in the desert of much hard 
work. It is I who should give thanks — and now to bed, 
good people; if some one will kindly rouse my slumber- 
ing chauffeur, I’ll take him home.” 

So the “ party ” broke up with the departure of 
Miss Burne-Elliot, accompanied by Hugh and John 
Langley, until finally only the “ Seven ” and Mr. and 
Mrs. Ormesby were left in the big echoing foyer. 

“ ‘ I feel like one who treads alone 
Some banquet hall deserted,’ ” 

quoted Mr. Ormesby, striding about extinguishing 
superfluous lights. 

“ I feel sleepy,” announced Helen ; “ who seconds the 
motion ? ” 

It was carried with one voice, and before another 
177 


HELEN ORMESBY 


hour had passed the last light had blinked through the 
curtained windows, and the big house merged into the 
shadows of the night, while the snow fell softly out- 
side, and the tired girls slept quietly within. 

To Helen, it seemed as though her head scarcely 
touched the pillow before a persistent tapping at her 
door succeeded in rousing her. She sat up in bed with 
a start and answered, “ Come in,” before her eyes were 
well opened. It was Phyllis, and her face was full of 
concern. 

“ Ann sent me, Miss Helen. She’s sick ; she says will 
you please take charge, and she’s very sorry.” 

“ Why, what’s the matter ? ” asked Helen, now thor- 
oughly roused, as, springing up, she threw on a warm 
dressing-gown and thrust her feet into her slippers. 

“ It’s her throat that hurts, and she’s hot with fe- 
ver ; she tossed and tumbled all night, but she wouldn’t 
let me call any one.” 

“ Wait, I’ll see,” and Helen ran swiftly upstairs 
and entered the room where the genius of the kitchen 
lay prone. “ This is too bad,” she began, but Ann 
waved her off. 

“ Don’t ye come anigh me, Miss Helen ; there ain’t no 
tellin’ what nonsense I’ll be up to, but ye’d best not 
risk it. Just you go downstairs an’ stir around in the 
kitchen a bit for the breakfast — and don’t burn nothin’ 
— an’ if your Ma could send me a doctor-man to tell 
me what’s wrong — I’d rest aisy,” and Ann groaned as 
she turned her face to the wall. 

On her way downstairs to her mother Helen roused 
her mates. “ Extra hands on deck to-day — Ann’s sick,” 
she called as she peeped into the three rooms in turn. 
Then, as they all bounced from their pillows like a set 
of vigilant fire-horses, Helen sped to her mother’s room. 
178 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Mummie,” she called as she opened the door, “ do 
you think you could wake up for a moment ? ” 

“ I don’t know,” came a sleepy voice from within. 
“ If it’s very important I might try.” 

“ It is — Ann’s sick — shall I ring for Dr. McKee ? ” 

“ Dear me ! ” and there was consternation in the now 
thoroughly roused tones. “ Yes, telephone at once. I’ll 
go right up to Ann myself,” and Mrs. Ormesby lost no 
time in seeing the sufferer, while Helen summoned the 
Doctor and rushed through her morning toilet. She 
limped a little, for the ankle was still weak, but she had 
discarded the cane, and had resumed her active duties, 
as one might see by the capable air with which she en- 
tered Ann’s deserted kitchen. 

The girls descended in a body, and the Chief gave 
instructions as she went along. Sylvia, Edith, and Jo- 
sephine were detailed for upstairs work. The twins and 
Ruth turned in with her, and even before the usual time 
breakfast was ready to be served. 

The twins were really remarkable. The white, dim- 
pled hands made the most wonderful dough, that turned 
into flaky, feathery biscuits; there was absolute poetry 
in the turn of their rounded arms as they beat eggs. 
They lost their languorous Southern air, and bustled like 
any New England housewives. Helen gazed at them 
in admiration, while Ruth — who was not a cook — shook 
her head incredulously over the dishpan, where she was 
presiding. 

“ I really believe you two like to do these stunts,” 
she said. 

“ Of course ; our grandmother Ogilvie compiled the 
best cook-book in the State. It naturally runs in the 
family,” explained Elsie. “ Alice and I used to toddle 
out into our great old-fashioned kitchen, with our toy 
179 


HELEN ORMESBY 


rolling-pins and bits of boards, when we were- not more 
than three. When we were five, Mother gave us a 
cooking-stove, and our cook, old Aunt Cindy, taught us 
a good deal; but we love it besides, you see, which is 
more than half the battle. ,, 

“ It’s the whole fight,” said Ruth. “ / don’t love it, 
and I spoil things.” 

“ I believe the Chief and Elsie and I could run this 
department,” declared Alice arrogantly. 

“ I believe that’s what we’ll have to do,” said Helen. 
“ It’s pretty certain that Ann won’t be fit for many days, 
and that’s the way we’ll have to spend our holiday week, 
I very much fear.” 

And Helen was right; the doctor pronounced Ann’s 
case an aggravated attack of tonsillitis, and suggested 
her removal to a nearby hospital for a week of careful 
nursing. 

“ Not that she would not have the best attention 
here,” he said, “ but these attacks are apt to become 
epidemic in a household, unless we root out the first 
sign.” 

“ Sure, I’m only glad it isn’t the scarlet fever,” said 
Ann, between her groans; “ but I don’t want to go in 
one of them Mary Anns, an’ be shoved in on a plank,” 
she said, beseechingly, to her mistress. 

Mrs. Ormesby laughed. “If you mean the ambu- 
lance, of course not; I’ll take you myself. I’ll make 
Jerry bring the coupe, and he can help you downstairs.” 

“ Indade, an’ I’ll walk down meself, ma’am ; I ain’t 
goin’ to be no dead weight for any man to carry at my 
time o’ life,” said Ann, in a tone which convulsed her 
hearers, and so in a few hours the removal was accom- 
plished. Ann’s quarters were put in quarantine for a 
day of disinfection, and the “ Seven ” fell to work in 
180 


HELEN ORMESBY 


good earnest to supply what Hugh jocularly called the 
“ backbone of the House of Ormesby.” 

Meanwhile, the days were not without the merry- 
making of the holiday season. It was typical Christmas 
weather, for the snow, instead of turning into slush, 
hardened in the biting air. Hugh and his mates, whose 
sailing was set for the first of the year, made the most 
of their opportunities, and many a happy skating party 
found its way to Vancortlandt or the Park. 

Helen’s weak ankle kept her from her favorite pas- 
time, and though the girls, in turn, most unselfishly of- 
fered to stay away from this entrancing sport, just to 
bear her company, she would not listen to such a thing. 

“A pretty state of affairs!” she said. “You all 
seem to think I’m such a baby I can’t reason about it. 
I insist upon your enjoying this fine ice; we don’t often 
have it out of doors, a thaw may set in any day and spoil 
it, and the rinks are not half so good nor so healthy. 
I have plenty to do to keep me from fretting. There’s 
an hour’s practicing, and a few gifts to finish up, to say 
nothing of Ann’s legacy of work in the kitchen, so I 
think I can live through it,” she finished with a laugh. 
But, nevertheless, she felt a little bereft and forlorn as 
she watched them depart each crisp, fine day, and the 
work dragged just a little, for Helen was a wonderful 
skater, and loved to show her prowess. The healthful 
exercise suited her vigorous young body, and in her 
trim brown suit, with a sealskin jacket and a little fur 
cap set jauntily on the bronze head, her eyes bright and 
dancing, her cheeks glowing, Helen was a picture not 
easily forgotten. 

“ Dreaming, dear ? ” Mrs. Ormesby came up quietly 
behind her, as she stood at the window gazing wistfully 
out, long after her mates had departed. 

181 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ No, only moping, Mummie. I’m a pig — I wanted 
to go dreadfully to-day — Mr. Trent was most beseech- 
ing — he is a splendid skater and it was a terrible temp- 
tation, but I sent him along with the others, though I 
don’t believe it would have hurt my ankle one little bit, 
and this was the only day he could go; his mother in- 
sisted, so Rita stayed with her, while he went more to 
please her than for any other reason.” 

“ Unselfish young man ! ” murmured Mrs. Ormesby. 

“ Wasn’t he ! He even wanted to stay behind with 
me, but I just wouldn’t hear of his missing this glorious 
day.” 

“ Unselfish girl ! Perhaps he’d rather have stayed 
with you,” suggested her mother. 

“ No, I think not, but he was just crazy for me to 
go, we skate so well together; we used to go whenever 
the College pond was frozen, and we used to have such 
good times.” 

“ He seems to be a very nice, capable sort of fel- 
low,” observed Mrs. Ormesby. “ A pity he should be 
tied to teaching all his life.” 

“ I don’t think it’s what he would have chosen, but 
it was the first thing that offered after his father’s fail- 
ure. I should imagine that an active business life would 
suit him better; he’d make a splendid accountant or 
something of that sort — there goes the bell. I’m maid- 
of-all-work this afternoon — the others are busy — I’ll an- 
swer it.” 

She exclaimed in surprise as she opened the door, 
for Philip Trent stood on the threshold, his skates un- 
der his arm, and a somewhat sheepish expression upon 
his pleasant countenance. 

“ I backed out at the last moment,” he said, as Mrs. 
Ormesby, too, came from the drawing-room to meet 
182 



“And so they 


went off like a 


pair of 


happy children.” 


1 




























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































HELEN ORMESBY 


him. “ Half the pleasure was spoiled without Miss 
Helen’s company, and I really feel that I should not 
leave my mother for so long. She is very feeble now 
and needs me every moment. I was wondering if the 
lame ankle could stand the short walk across the Park, 
with much resting by the wayside; if so, we could walk 
over and have a surprise party.” 

“ How do you feel about it, Helen ? ” asked Mrs. 
Ormesby. 

“ For practical, every day purposes, I think it’s quite 
well,” said Helen, “ and I’d love to go.” 

“ Then hurry and change your dress, I think Mr. 
Trent and I can entertain each other until you come 
back. I’m rather glad that you returned,” she added, as 
Helen vanished. “I was beginning to think my girl 
was having just a trifle too much work and too little 
play. She will enjoy her afternoon, I am sure.” 

“ I could not have enjoyed mine without her,” he 
answered earnestly, adding, in a lighter tone, “ she skates 
so beautifully that the others seem clumsy and heavy 
compared with her.” 

Mrs. Ormesby gave him a quick, comprehensive 
glance; her mother’s intuition was keenly alive to the 
change in the young man’s voice. 

“ I’m glad you two are such good friends,” she said 
cordially. “ I can always trust Helen to choose well, 
and her friends are mine.” 

“ Thank you,” he said gratefully. “ I shall need my 
friends, I fear, for my mother fails every day; it is 
hard to stand by and feel one’s helplessness.” 

“ Poor boy ! ” she said softly, while her eyes filled, 
“ we will do what we can.” The face she turned to him 
was beautiful with the sympathy which illumined it, and 
the hand she laid upon his arm was very comforting. 

183 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Then Helen came back to them ready for her walk, 
and armed with some interesting bundles. 

“ Just some cakes and things for the tea-party,” she 
said. “ Good-by, Mummie ; send the twins below when 
they come home — they can take hold and start things. 
Now, Mr. Trent, if you’ll carry one of these bundles — 
I can manage with the other — take care — it’s fudge — we 
always have fudge at tea-time.” 

And so they went off like a pair of happy children, 
while Mrs. Ormesby watched them from the parlor win- 
dow. 

“ How fast she’s growing up ! ” she said to herself ; 
“ soon she will be a woman,” then she smiled and sighed, 
for instinctively she knew that womanhood was there, 
and that life and love were waiting. 


CHAPTER XI 


I T was Christmas morning, and the holiday mood 
shone in the faces of the girls who had assembled 
around the breakfast table. The room was in the 
most delightful disarray; every available article of fur- 
niture, except the chairs on which they sat, bore some 
festive mark, either of tissue-paper with freshly broken 
Christmas tags, or bits of holly, or bows of red ribbon, 
while the bell rang so often that Phyllis was forced to 
mount guard in the hall and take in the interesting-look- 
ing bundles literally by the armful. 

In the matter of Christmas gifts, the “ Seven ” had 
been most circumspect. They accepted from one an- 
other only what their clever fingers made, and Rita’s 
ingenuity helped them out considerably. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ormesby also flatly refused anything not of home manu- 
facture, and it was really surprising to see the wonder- 
ful results, for the dining-table fairly groaned with the 
beautiful and useful offerings. 

“ Which only goes to prove,” said Sylvia, “ how 
much needless money is spent at Christmas time. I’ve 
had twice the fun in getting up my Christmas gifts this 
year, on a skimpy allowance, and to feel that there’s 
something in my pocketbook besides the aching void 
which usually resides there after the holidays — well, it’s 
heavenly ! ” 

“ And wasn’t the Chief stern ! ” said Edith. “ You’d 
hardly think, Mr. Ormesby, what flinty substance is 

185 


HELEN ORMESBY 


hidden behind that bland and smiling exterior. Each 
of us retired to meditate for one hour, during which’ 
time we were to prepare a list of the people we wished 
to remember, and some shadowy hint of the presents we 
would like to give, also an approximate idea of what 
we wanted to spend.” 

“ I literally tore my hair,” said Ruth ; “ that was the 
worst hour I ever spent in my life.” 

“Well, now, I wasn’t particularly happy, either,” 
said Helen; “ I had a dreadful time. If I do give medi- 
cine, you can’t say I don’t take a big dose myself.” 

“ Anyway, we all came like little whipped dogs to 
the Chief,” went on Edith, “ presented our lists and 
received our orders, and woe betide the unlucky person 
who stepped beyond the limit ! ” 

“And we weren’t allowed to apply to any of our 
natural protectors, either,” said Elsie. “ Here was our 
dear little mother on the spot, with an open check-book, 
but Helen was obdurate.” 

“ The hardest problem was the Christmas cards,” 
said Josephine, “but Sylvia suddenly remembered her 
water colors, and I wish you could have seen the dainty 
things she did for us. Indeed, I never knew we were 
such a pack of geniuses before.” 

“Oh, discipline is a great thing,” said Helen ; “ none 
of you had to withstand the temptation that came to me. 
Daddy called me into his den about two weeks ago — ” 

“ Now, Helen,” said Mr. Ormesby, shaking his finger 
at her. 

“No matter, it would leak out somehow. He wanted 
to give me my usual check, and when I refused it, he 
was so rampant that I had to fly for my life, and all the 
time I was aching for it. There were so many things 
it could have bought. I’m glad I didn’t now, with such 
1 86 


HELEN ORMESBY 


a deluge as we’re getting from outside,” and she bent 
over a box of American Beauty roses which Fred Gayle 
had just sent to the Club. 

There was a ten-pound box of candy from Hugh 
and his mates, with an enigmatical note from Hugh him- 
self : 

We’re coming up some time during the day — a good 
half-dozen — but don’t prepare for us, we’ll take “pot 
luck” if we can’t get anything else. Hurrah for Santa 
Claus! 

Hugh. 

Helen looked aghast. “ What on earth shall we 
do?” she asked in despair. “Here we were just con- 
gratulating ourselves that there was no need to bother 
with a Christmas spread — with Ann away — and Hugh 
does this ridiculous thing.” 

“ Take him at his word,” suggested Mrs. Ormesby, 
“ don’t bother your heads. I’ve even written Aunt Hen- 
rietta that, contrary to our usual custom, we could not 
have her to dine with us to-day.” 

“ What ! ” exclaimed Helen, “ you dared Aunt Hen- 
rietta ? ” 

“Certainly; you know she has frowned systemat- 
ically on this year’s experiment, and while, had Ann 
been here, I would have been glad to show your prowess, 
I was not going to have you hampered by her disapprov- 
ing glances.” 

“ Aunt Henrietta is a character, girls,” explained 
Helen ; “ she is the last scion of the Darcys, and if you 
ever saw a typical old maid, you will recognize the pat- 
tern. I suppose that once she must have been young, 
but even Mother can’t remember when. She always 
comes out to the Farm for a month, so you’ll have am- 
13 187 


HELEN ORMESBY 


pie opportunity to study her angles, and particularly and 
above all, she objects to the modern 'young girls ’ ; she 
says they are too broad-shouldered and mannish. I 
wonder what she’ll say to seven of us in a bunch, Mum- 
mie. At least her remarks will be interesting.” 

“ Eminently so, but one always has to take Aunt 
Henrietta with a pinch of salt. Now, what shall we do 
about Hugh and his friends?” 

“ I don’t know exactly,” said Helen ; “ you see, we’ll 
be such a small family for dinner, and we’re going right 
afterward to the kiddies’ tree. If they could come in 
during the evening it would be nicer for everybody.” 

"Why not send him a message?” said Josephine 
solicitously ; “ we wouldn’t like to miss him.” 

Helen’s forehead took a little pucker of perplexity. 
“ There is no way of reaching him on the telephone ; a 
telegram, I suppose, would be the surest way of ward- 
ing him off.” 

“ Poor boy ! I hope he won’t go hungry,” and Mrs. 
Ormesby’s motherly conscience got ahead of her. 

Helen laughed. “ Our ‘ poor boy ’ never went hun- 
gry in his life. He won’t now, never fear. Yes, a tele- 
gram will be best, and now to work — this room is a per- 
fect muddle.” 

“ You’d better appoint a committee to attend to the 
flowers and candy alone,” said Ruth. 

"No, each man for himself; we’ll just pile our be- 
longings in our own rooms,” said Helen, energetically 
loading up. 

" Don’t forget those white roses,” and Edith pointed 
to an open box, with Philip Trent’s card lying conspic- 
uously on the top. 

" Of course not,” replied Helen serenely. " Mum- 
mie, if you’ll just wade through this sea of tissue-paper 
1 88 


HELEN ORMESBY 


and smooth it out, and roll up the bolts of Christmas 
ribbon, I think you will be well employed until we meet 
again. Come on, girls, we have no time to lose,” and 
the “ Seven ” staggered away, each with her arms full of 
gifts, their tongues wagging merrily, and their happy 
laughter echoing through the place. 

Mrs. Ormesby glanced across at her husband, with a 
sympathetic smile on her own face. 

“ Well, Will, what do you think of the first quarter 
of the experiment? It’s three months since the girls 
took hold, you know.” 

Mr. Ormesby looked up from the book of exquisite 
views that Helen had mounted for him. “ As far as we 
can see, it goes well,” he said guardedly ; “ I’d rather 
withhold my opinion for another three months.” 

“ Why, please?” 

“ Because, while there has been plenty of work, there 
has also been a fair share of play. Wait till the frolics 
are over — when the sailor-boys sail away — and things 
begin to settle down into the humdrum of daily routine, 
that's the time to find out the stuff these girls are made 
of. Perhaps I’ll give them a real problem to tackle 
after the holidays.” 

“ What do you mean, dear ? Is anything wrong ? ” 

“No; but in floating such a gigantic scheme as ours, 
the directors have to be very careful, and more retrench- 
ment may be necessary.” 

Mrs. Ormesby looked relieved. “ Oh, if that's all, 
Helen will be equal to it ; that child has a perfect genius 
for business. You ought to consult her more ; you have 
no idea how resourceful she is, and as to the other girls, 
why, it has really been a perfect delight to watch their 
development. I never interfere, except with a judicious 
word dropped occasionally when some bit of domestic 
189 


HELEN ORMESBY 


economy corners them. The consequence is that they 
tell me all their plans, but they work out their per- 
plexities among themselves. They are real soldiers, and 
they fight well.” 

“ They need another three months’ test ; it has been 
plain sailing so far.” 

“ Will, you’re a great tease, you know better, it’s not 
all been plain sailing. They’ve gone into this thing with 
all their earnest young souls, out of the purest devotion 
to Helen. They have conquered all their little selfish de- 
sires, and have worked shoulder to shoulder for the 
common good.” 

Mr. Ormesby laughed. “ I love to rouse you, Marian ; 
you’re nothing but a girl yourself. Helen certainly gets 
her enthusiasm straight from you, though I think,” he 
added, a little maliciously, “ her head for finance is an 
Ormesby inheritance. And, by the by, what plans have 
the august * Seven ’ made for the day? I suppose I 
must make mine accordingly.” 

“ Of course. Now, let me see ! Edith takes the 
eleven o’clock train for Glenhurst, she’s to dine with her 
father and aunt. Sylvia completes their own little fam- 
ily party at her home. The twins eat their Christmas 
turkey at the hotel with their mother. Ruth devotes 
the morning to her mother and father, who leave for 
the West on the mid-day train; her brother is spending 
the week with a College friend, and the Ashtons being 
in Philadelphia, our little dinner-party will consist of 
Helen, Ruth, Josephine, and ourselves, after which Fred 
Gayle has invited the ‘ Seven ’ and you and me to the 
children’s tree, though how he expects to give us house- 
room passes my understanding.” 

“ ‘ Ours not to reason why 
Ours but to do and die,’ ” 


HELEN ORMESBY 


groaned Mr. Ormesby, as he retreated to his study and 
his morning paper. 

The girls made short work of their morning tasks, 
and all turned in full force to the kitchen, to help the 
“ stay-at-homes ” with preparations for dinner, and as 
they worked their tongues flew, for they had acquired 
that happy faculty of doing both together. 

“ Doesn’t it seem strange that this time last year we 
were just a happy-go-lucky set of school-girls, intent on 
enjoying every minute of our holiday?” Ruth was in- 
clined to be reminiscent. 

“ I remember Helen had us up here to dine — what 
a spread it was ! I covered four pages in a description 
I sent down home to Mother,” said Alice, who was en- 
ergetically chopping onions and parsley by the kitchen 
window. 

“If we were home now we’d be decorating our big 
parlors with holly and mistletoe, they would certainly 
give us an informal dance to-night,” and Elsie heaved 
a small but regretful sigh. “ I haven’t twirled on my 
toes, even, since Thanksgiving.” 

“ Heavens ! have we a ballet dancer among us ? ” 
cried Sylvia. “ Elsie has all the jargon — I can waltz a 
bit, to be sure, but I don’t ever remember twirling on 
my toes. You ought to take this up in serious conclave, 
Helen, and put a stop to it.” 

“ Maybe we’ll tread a stately measure to-night, when 
Hugh and the others come. Mother is a trump about 
playing,” said Helen. 

“ Oh, the mistletoe bough ! ” 

hummed Josephine, while the others joined in the doleful 
chorus. 

“ I never could quite understand that silly little 
191 


HELEN ORMESBY 


bride,” said Edith ; “ the idea of bundling into a chest in 
her bridal clothes — a musty, dirty old chest, too, into the 
bargain.” 

At length an oak chest that had long lain hid, 

Was found in the castle ; they raised the lid ; 

And a skeleton form lay moldering there 
In the bridal wreath of that lady fair! 

Oh, the mistletoe bough! 

Oh, the mistletoe bough! 

The full pathos of the old ballad swept over them all 
for a moment, and the girlish voices rang out with 
weird intensity, then Ruth broke the spell, saying, in a 
droll way: 

“ It preaches its own moral, anyhow — when looking 
for a lost bride, investigate the old chests first, and then 
try an ‘ innovation ’ trunk if that test fails.” 

“ Talking of chests,” said Helen, “ Mrs. Trent told 
me a strange tale about an old carved one she has — 
quite an heirloom. Her ancestors were Huguenots, and 
the owner of the chest was hunted out of France, and 
had to fly for his life. He was smuggled by his frantic 
family on board a ship bound for America, concealed 
in this very chest. At the last moment before sailing 
soldiers came aboard to hunt for him, and after a fruit- 
less search pounced upon the chest, which was huddled 
in a corner along with other household chattels. The 
leader eyed it suspiciously, and asked one or two ques- 
tions, which were glibly answered; then he made a sud- 
den and unexpected lunge with his rapier, through a hole 
in the top, to make sure no human being was hidden 
within. The thrust wounded the prisoner’s shoulder, 
but in spite of the pain the fugitive had presence of 
mind to catch hold of the murderous blade and, as the 
192 


HELEN ORMESBY 


soldier drew it out, to wipe off the tell-tale blood marks 
with his scarf.” 

“ It makes a good story,” said Ruth critically, “ and 
I suppose it’s as true as all traditions.” 

“ Oh, the chest is there, and the blood-stained scarf. 
Mrs. Trent is very proud of them. Poor thing! she 
looked so eager and animated while she told the little 
story, and so wan and tired afterward, it nearly broke 
my heart,” and Helen’s face grew grave with the mem- 
ory of it. “ I am glad she is here this Christmas, though 
it’s a sad time for Mr. Trent and dear little Rita, who 
loves her like a daughter.” 

“ Suppose we stop there this afternoon on our way 
to the Bandbox,” said Ruth, using her favorite nickname 
for Fred’s little apartment. “ I expect those two are 
having hard work giving a cheerful tone to things. We 
can take our fiddler, and have a few tunes, for I 
heard Fred ask her to bring her violin, so it will be 
handy.” 

Josephine laughed. “ Well, you certainly have a cool 
way of arranging things, though I did promise Fred I’d 
bring it if I could.” 

Helen beamed her approval. “ That’s what I call 
the Christmas spirit — it will really hearten them up.” 

“ The right way would be for Mr. Trent and Rita to 
run out for a whiff of fresh air, while you three stay 
with the invalid,” suggested Edith. “ It’s always good 
in nursing — to relieve guard.” 

“ Every day but Christmas,” sang Sylvia, wringing 
out her dish-cloths ; “ there are no rules for this day — 
vacation has begun. Au revoir, ladies; I go to eat some 
of the fatted calf they are killing for me at home,” and, 
heading the “ dining-out ” quartette, Sylvia led the way 
upstairs. 


193 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Ruth lingered awhile, and then she, too, followed, 
and Helen and Josephine bent to their work with energy, 
resolved that this, at least, should be an epoch-making 
dinner. So busy were they that they hardly looked up 
as a tall form loomed in the doorway. 

“An’ did yez think I was goin’ to cut me job for a 
bit of a sore throat?” asked Ann, for Ann it was, less 
ruddy and substantial than usual, but Ann in the flesh 
after all, and a pretty good weight at that. 

Both girls wheeled around at sight of her. 

“ Good gracious, Ann ! how did you get out of the 
hospital ! ” cried Helen. 

“ On me two legs — an’ out the front door. I sez to 
the doctor, ‘ How’s me throat ? ’ ‘ Oh, all right,’ sez he. 
‘An’ how’s me fever?’ ‘Ye ain’t got none,’ sez he. 
‘ An’ how long will yez kape me here ? ’ ‘ About three 

more days,’ sez he. ‘ Not a minute ! ’ sez I, a-shakin’ my 
head. ‘ Out I goes this morning, an’ no mistake,’ an’ he 
knowed I meant it, too, for he was such a puny small 
thing I could have slapped him over with one hand, so 
we didn’t lose time argufyin’. What’s for dinner?” 
and five minutes later Ann had taken the reins, and care 
fell away from two pairs of young shoulders, as Helen 
and Josephine fled rejoicing. 

They resolved to say nothing of Ann’s return until 
after dinner, and they had much fun simpering over 
the compliments which the small but appreciative fam- 
ily lavished upon them. Little touches that only Ann 
could give were commented upon . by Mr. and Mrs. 
Ormesby, and the situation was almost too much for 
the giggling maids who waited on the table. 

Finally, when it was time to serve the traditional 
plum pudding, there was a little flutter and commotion 
in the butler’s pantry, out of which Ann emerged, bear- 
194 


HELEN ORMESBY 


ing her trophy, wrapped in blue flames, and sizzling and 
sputtering in the most festive way. 

Of course, her appearance produced exactly the sen- 
sation they had expected, and with modest pride, toned 
down by her table manners, Ann answered the interested 
questions of Mr. and Mrs. Ormesby. The kind-hearted 
soul had worried and fretted so much over leaving her 
44 young ladies ” in the lurch during the holidays, that 
there was literally no way of holding her back, the house 
surgeon telephoned later, so he considered it better in 
this case to humor the whim, and Helen laughed as she 
heard, remembering Ann’s version in the kitchen. 

It was three o’clock and the short winter’s day was 
on the wane as Mrs. Trent’s trim little maid opened the 
door for the trio, who came in, rosy from the cold, laden 
with fruit and a bottle of Mr. Ormesby’s rare old wine. 

They found the invalid propped up in a large easy 
chair, before a fire of blazing logs, which illumined the 
whole of the otherwise shadowy room. The delicate 
oval face, with its crown of silver hair, looked very 
beautiful with the glow of the firelight upon it, and the 
soft eyes turned gratefully to her visitors, while Rita 
smiled her greeting, and Philip, roused from the sudden 
depression that had fallen on him, drew up chairs, and 
widened the circle round the hearth. 

44 This is very kind of you,” he said, as he relieved 
them of their coats and bundles. “ I think we three 
were just a little tired of one another. We have had 
almost too much Christmas, and it’s been rather exciting 
— we feel 4 done up ’ in consequence.” He looked mean- 
ingly at his mother. 44 I’ve been so stupid, too,” he 
added, 44 that she and Rita have agreed in pronouncing 
me a bore.” 

44 For shame!” said Mrs. Trent softly, laying her 
195 


HELEN ORMESBY 




thin hand on his head, for he sat on a favorite low stool 
at her knee. “ It was only the quiet room and the fading 
daylight that made him sober; now your company has 
banished all that; it was a shame to shut himself up all 
day with a stupid old woman, but there was no use — I 
could not move him.” 

“ It was just a case of Mahomet and the mountain,” 
said Ruth. “ If he couldn’t get near it one way, he did 
the other, so here we are, bag and baggage, including the 
violin. Josephine promised to play some Christmas glees 
for the youngsters, and she thought perhaps Mrs. Trent 
would like some music.” 

“ She didn’t think at all, it was entirely Ruth’s sug- 
gestion; but if you care for it — ” said Josephine. 

“ Dear old Josephine ! she’s more modest than most 
geniuses,” interrupted Helen ; “ her music is a treat, 
but we want to chatter a bit first, and you are only to 
look and listen.” 

Then the girls, in their blithest mood, launched forth 
into vivid descriptions of the day’s doings, including a 
graphic account of the return of Ann, told in Ruth’s 
most florid style, which sent echoes of laughter around 
the big room. “ And what we have to expect when we 
reach Fred’s square foot of house-room there’s no tell- 
ing,” she wound up with a shake of her head. 

“ There are nine of us alone, to say nothing of the 
tree, and not counting Fred and the children,” said 
Helen. “ I must say I’m wondering. It’s like putting a 
square peg in a round hole.” 

“ Perhaps they have a small tree,” suggested Rita. 

“ No, I’m assured it’s the average size, bigger than 
most, Will told me,” said Ruth. “ I hope we’ll come 
out of it alive, we are taking everything on faith — it’s 
the only way.” 


196 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ What a glorious blaze ! ” exclaimed Helen. “ To 
me, there’s nothing like these great old-fashioned fire- 
places for solid comfort.” 

Philip reached for the poker. “Would you like to 
punch that log ? ” he asked. “ In my childish days that 
was my greatest privilege.” 

“ Oh, yes ! ” she cried, “ unless you’d rather — ” 

He smiled. “ No, I’m yielding the pleasure volun- 
tarily. Perhaps you’ve never punched a log before?” 

“ No, never.” 

“ Then I envy you that first sensation.” 

“ Do I rise for action? ” 

“ That depends upon your mood ; if you are rumina- 
tive, you can do it sitting, if you are combative, you do it 
standing.” 

“ I’m a fighter born — I’ll do it standing,” and, taking 
the poker, Helen prepared for the onslaught. 

With the first blow the great log trembled, with the 
second it shivered and fell apart in a shower of crimson, 
glowing embers, scattering all over the fireplace. 

“ How lovely ! ” cried the girls. 

“ It’s truly the heart of the blaze,” said Josephine; 
“ that throbbing, almost living flame color is wonderful.” 

“ It’s the fire in its death throes ; we must give it 
more food or it dies,” and taking a fresh log from the 
woodbox Philip threw it on, and they watched the little 
tongues of flame darting around it, and heard the snap- 
ping, crackling sound as the green wood caught. Then, 
of a sudden, the room seemed full of light, as the fire 
roared lustily up the chimney. 

The invalid brightened under the spell of youth which 
seemed to fill the place. Philip threw off his sober mood 
and the talk grew lively, while time flew and the hand 
of the inexorable clock pointed to the hour of leave- 
197 


HELEN ORMESBY 


taking. Then Josephine reached for her violin, and soon 
the magic of her music was upon them, while the bril- 
liant glow from the fire died down, and the room once 
more filled with mysterious shadows. Mrs. Trent’s se- 
rene face was full of gratitude as she bade her visitors 
good-by. 

“ You have made this day a happy memory to my 
boy,” she whispered, as Helen bent over her for a fare- 
well kiss. “ He will have need of his memories soon ; 
thank you for the pleasant hour,” and Helen’s tears 
were perilously near the surface as she groped her way 
to the door. 

“ I cannot begin to tell you how grateful we all are 
for this bit of sunshine,” said Philip Trent, as they stood 
in the hall outside, waiting for the elevator, 

“ You’ve just played Santa Claus all day,” added 
Rita, “ from the pretty gifts in the morning, to the 
beautiful music just now.” 

“And you, Rita, it’s a wonder you’ve not put out 
your eyes with the dainty work you did for us ; I almost 
feel like scolding instead of thanking you,” and Ruth 
put an arm affectionately about her, while Helen added, 
in a quiet undertone to Philip : 

“ The flowers were lovely. I would have worn a rose 
to-day, but it was so cold. I hated to blight a single 
one; they are blooming in my room just now.” 

“ I hope roses will always bloom for you — even in 
December,” answered Philip. 

Then the elevator came and whisked the girls down- 
stairs, and again the scene changed, with kaleidoscopic 
swiftness. As they reached the “ Bandbox,” the usual 
scamper to the door followed their ring, and this time 
Will, with the Prince at his heels, opened it with a 
flourish. 


198 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Merry Christmas ! Please squeeze in any room 
but the parlor — which means Kitty’s room, Uncle Fred’s 
room, or the kitchen. If you’ll kindly take off your 
coats in the hall you’ll find it more convenient for turn- 
ing around. Uncle Fred says that Kitty must even try 
and shorten her sentences, that there won’t be room for 
an extra word; that’s rather hard lines on poor old Kit, 
isn’t it? She loves to hear herself spout.” 

“ Down, Prince ! ” cried Ruth, laughing, as the puppy 
sprang upon her ; “ there isn’t even room for an extra 
jump. Are the others here — where’s the tree?” 

“ Behind yonder doors,” said Kitty, appearing at her 
own, and pointing a sepulchral finger. “ No, you’re the 
first. I hope they’ll come one by one, then we can pack 
them in nicely, like sardines.” 

“ They most probably will,” said Helen, “ as they 
come from the four corners of the earth.” 

“ I hope the walls won’t bulge,” said Will doubtfully. 
“ These apartments are advertised as suitable for young 
couples and light housekeeping, you don’t mind if the 
beams crack just a little, do you?” 

Kitty shuddered. “ If that’s a joke, Will, you’d 
better take it back. Uncle Fred said yours were too 
heavy for this place. There’s the bell ! ” 

Then, they all trooped in, and it was really surpris- 
ing how, with very little shifting, the full dozen, with 
the exception of Fred himself and the much-enduring 
Nora, were stowed away. 

“ Uncle Fred wouldn’t let us in the parlor,” ex- 
plained Kitty, with a little prance of excitement, “ and 
there’s been such hammering and pounding for three 
whole days — it must be something wonderful.” 

They had not long to wait. Nora, with flushed face 
and cap awry, announced that all was ready, the 
199 


HELEN ORMESBY 


portieres were pushed back, and the company crowded 
forward into the darkened room. Fred’s voice greeted 
them from somewhere in space, and when their eyes be- 
came accustomed to things, they found that the tree, in- 
stead of being rooted to the floor, was floating from the 
ceiling, and Fred, robed as Santa Claus, occupied a 
cleverly constructed airship close by, also depending from 
the ceiling, which was draped with cloudlike effect with 
blue and white cheese cloth. The patron Saint was pro- 
vided with a hooked stick, and a fair-sized basket, 
worked by means of an improvised pulley; this unique 
arrangement left plenty of floor room for the guests, 
who crowded in with much laughter and genuine admi- 
ration for the clever scheme. 

“ Here, Will, stand below and deliver the goods,” 
called Santa Claus, and then ensued a period of such 
wholesome fun as only youth can know, and Mr. and 
Mrs. Ormesby forgot they were not children, and 
laughed and shouted over the quaint jokes and the odd 
gifts, just as the others did, for scarcely a thing upon 
the laden tree had cost more than time and thought and 
ingenuity. But Fred Gayle, in spite of the sober cares 
that were thrust upon him, was a mere boy at heart, a 
college boy into the bargain, and he found a bevy of 
kindred souls in these laughter-loving, light-hearted girls. 

The day closed in upon them and the street lights 
began to glimmer, while the fun went on; it was Mrs. 
Ormesby who broke the spell : 

“ Girls, girls ! ” she cried, “ you forget we are ex- 
pecting guests at home, and even the best of things must 
come to an end.” 

“ Just one thing more,” said Josephine, signaling the 
two children and tuning her violin, and then, to the 
daintiest of accompaniments, the young voices burst into 


200 


HELEN ORMESBY 


one of those old-time Christmas carols that have charmed 
the world through centuries. Both Kitty and Will had 
a keen, true ear for harmony, but while Kitty’s was a 
thin, tuneful piping of an unfledged voice, Will’s clear 
boyish soprano rang out with wonderful sweetness. 

Glee after glee they sang, filling the tiny place with 
melody. Josephine had trained them well, and they were 
so proud of this — their latest accomplishment — that they 
might have gone on indefinitely, had not the Prince be- 
come wearied of it all. With an indescribable expres- 
sion upon his usually cheerful countenance, with droop- 
ing head and tail between his legs, he sat down on the 
floor in the middle of the room and howled dismally. 
This succeeded most effectually in breaking up the party, 
and with many jests and much laughter, the guests took 
their leave. 

On reaching home, they found Hugh and his friends 
making themselves quite comfortable in the library. 
Hugh had prepared the “ Seven ” for half a dozen, but 
there were ten strong, robust, healthy fellows, with 
“ good appetite ” written all over their sturdy frames. 
Even Mrs. Ormesby’s heart sank when she reflected on 
the contrast between their company and the somewhat 
limited state of their larder, and when Hugh announced 
— after the usual Christmas greetings — that he and the 
fellows had just dropped in for an informal bite, Helen 
felt a wild and sisterly desire to shake him. 

There must be immediate and earnest consultation 
during the necessary donning of lighter housegowns, so 
Helen signaled her mother to fill in the breach, and the 
girls fled to their rooms. 

Helen heard her brother rush up the stairs just as 
she was slipping out of her street dress, so she threw 
on her wrapper and stood ready to hurl a good piece of 


201 


HELEN ORMESBY 


her mind at him, but he passed her door and went to the 
telephone beyond : 

“ Hello ! ” he said, when he got the number, “ the 
family are home now, you men can come up whenever 
you like.” He had just put up the receiver when Helen 
flung wide her door, and confronted him with righteous 
wrath in every feature. 

“ Weren’t there enough people downstairs ? ” she 
asked with withering sarcasm. “ Why did you have to 
invite more ? ” 

Hugh laughed. “ There’ll only be a couple more, 
and they’ll be sure to make themselves useful. I thought 
you liked these little impromptu affairs, sister mine.” 

“ So I do, when all things are equal, but Ann’s being 
sick has kept us all behind, and we haven’t enough to 
feed them — that’s the truth, it isn’t inhospitality,” but 
Hugh looked concerned. 

“ Shall we go away again ? I should have remem- 
bered — I’m awfully sorry — truly.” 

“ Will you ever be more than a great big careless 
boy ! ” sighed Helen. 

“ Oh, it takes you to grow up and have wisdom be- 
yond your years. I’m afraid I’m doomed to everlasting 
childhood. Hurry down, Sis, don’t let on it’s a trouble, 
whatever you do,” and Hugh, shaking off all responsibil- 
ity from his broad shoulders, ran downstairs again as 
the front doorbell echoed through the house. 

Over the banisters, where she stood peeping, Helen 
saw the expansive shirt fronts of two more men, and she 
groaned aloud. The girls, knowing the exigencies of the 
occasion, made hasty toilets and joined' Helen in her 
room. 

“ We’ve plenty of cake and bread, if we cut thin 
slices,” said Elsie, “ and cold turkey. We’ll make a for- 


202 


HELEN ORMESBY 


midable dish if we carve it right, and Ann can do some- 
thing in the way of biscuits and toast, and we can fill 
up with Christmas candies and fruit.” 

“ Tell Mary to do her best in decorating the table 
with all the Christmas frills we have around, and we’ll 
do what we can on the short rations,” commanded 
Helen. “ Come on, girls ; relays of three can entertain 
the guests, while the others hustle, and poor Mummie 
must slip away to change her gown, she must be bless- 
ing us.” 

As the girls went down, they paused for a moment 
in the great hall, to divide forces. Helen sent Jo- 
sephine, Edith and Ruth into the library, while she and 
her three assistants invaded the dining-room on their 
way downstairs to consult Ann. 

As they opened the door, the table — gorgeous in its 
cut glass and beautiful silver and damask — burst upon 
them. Two waiters, in full regalia, who were neither 
Jerry nor John, bustled around officiously, and delicious 
odors floated to them from the butler’s pantry beyond. 
For one moment they stared wide-eyed, then the situa- 
tion dawned upon them, and Sylvia, in her excitement, 
caught Helen’s arm in an ecstatic pinch. 

“Terry’s men!” she whispered, “what a treat!” 
But Helen drew her companions quickly out of the room, 
while the waiters’ backs were still turned to them. 

“ It was meant as a surprise — don’t spoil it,” and 
so, instead of descending to Ann, they sailed into the 
library in the highest spirits, while their mates stared at 
them in wonder, and even Mrs. Ormesby looked puzzled 
as she slipped away to change her gown. 

Such an evening as it was! Surely the Christmas 
spirit went like wine to their heads, for there was no 
other stimulant at the dainty supper. Afterward they 
203 


14 


HELEN ORMESBY 


pushed back the furniture in the foyer, and Mrs. 
Ormesby played for them to dance, and the day died as 
it began, right merrily. 

“ I wonder what will happen next ? ” said Edith, as 
the “ Seven ” separated for the night. “ I find this life 
full of surprises.” 

“ Now comes work — hard work — if we’re to make 
good,” said Helen, as she turned into her own cozy 
quarters. There was a smile on her face, but determina- 
tion in her eye, and the girls knew that their Chief meant 
what she said. 

As for Helen, she “builded better than she knew,” 
for the trial days did come, and sooner than she ex- 
pected. 


CHAPTER XII 


T HE holidays were over; the throngs of youthful 
merrymakers had departed for school or col- 
lege; the city had taken off its wreaths and gar- 
lands, and “ Every Day ” — with its many duties and its 
occasional pleasures — was somewhat of a relief, after 
the uncertain though pleasant excitement of the Yule- 
tide. 

The “We are Seven Club” felt the stir of the New 
Year energy. Each one went about her allotted tasks 
in such a vigorous way that the house machinery moved 
smoothly, and there was time to spare for many things 
which had seemed impossible heretofore. 

“ It is wonderful how we can shake down,” said 
Ruth, as she and Helen were taking their turn at the 
bedmaking. “ When I first came, I tucked away my 
fountain pen, and buried reams of writing-paper in the 
bottom of my trunk; now I’ve fished them out and in- 
tend to go to work on the greatest novel of the age.” 

“ Modest child,” laughed Helen, “ I don’t aim so 
high. I’m going to learn dressmaking — I’m in rags.” 

“ Ye gods ! I forgot about clothes. We are in a 
sorry plight, that’s a fact ; we all need new ones.” 

“ I was talking to Miss Pierce about that, only yester- 
day,” said Helen, “ she says to begin on the old ones 
first, remodeling is fine practice, and then, when we feel 
sure of ourselves we can cut boldly into new cloth ; there’s 
a lot of material in our shabby things.” 

205 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Oh, I daresay ! ” sighed Ruth. “ Old clothes remind 
me of review days in College, ‘ dead easy ’ but so tame.” 

“ Never mind, we’ll be able to get new things in the 
springtime, and there’s so much more variety,” cried 
Sylvia consolingly, from the doorway. “ Let’s have a 
ripping-bee, each one bring the dress she wants to alter, 
and we can talk by the way.” 

“ Two of Sylvia’s favorite pastimes ; look out, we’ll 
throw the whole job upon you,” threatened Ruth. 

“ I wouldn’t mind ; piecing and contriving are lots of 
fun.” 

“ You’ll have all you can do to attend to your own 
very important business,” said Helen decidedly, “ we’ll 
each have our hands full, I fancy. Sylvia’s ripping plan 
isn’t bad, and it will not look so hopeless in a bunch, if 
we talk of something else.” 

“ My principal grievance is silk underskirts,” said 
Josephine, joining the little group at Helen’s door. “ I’m 
reduced to one, for street wear, and every day I cut a 
frayed strip off the flounce.” 

“ You’ll soon reach the plight of the old woman in 
the jingle — ‘ who cut off her petticoats up to her knees,’ ” 
remarked Helen, giving a final pat to the counterpane. 

Josephine raised her hands : “ Don’t talk of knees, I 
think with the next wearing, mine will come through the 
body of the skirt. If I should be run over by an automo- 
bile, I shouldn’t know how to explain that skirt.” 

“ Then for the honor of the ‘ Seven ’ I vote you make 
another,” cried Ruth. “ If you’re going to have an acci- 
dent, have it comfortably, by all means.” 

And so the dressmaking began in earnest. There 
were breathless days of cutting and fitting; there were 
“ trying on ” hours with the “ dummies,” for Miss Pierce 
had three or four adjustable figures, and there were 
206 


HELEN ORMESBY 


often frantic cries for help when some bold adventurer 
went beyond her depth; then Miss Pierce came to the 
rescue and pulled the rash one to shore. If it had not 
been for Sylvia and the twins, the poor lady would have 
had her hands full, but these three practical maidens 
put the others quite to shame, though they floundered on 
doggedly. 

“ It’s not my vocation, that’s all,” said Edith, basting 
a seam for the third time, because she could not keep 
it from puckering, “ some people take to it naturally, 
and then grow arrogant and boast about it. It’s only 
that my intellect is a different shape from yours, it 
doesn’t lean toward dressmaking — it’s a very worldly 
art anyway; if some simple mode of dress could be 
adopted for the whole world, there’d be much more time 
for other things.” 

Ruth laughed as she watched Edith trying the effect 
of a broad chinchilla collar on her blue cloth coat. “ Like 
dear old Emerson and his Transcendentalists, a sort of 
a meal-bag costume tied in the middle, with a simple 
flat hat tied under the chin. Canst see the picture?” 
Ruth was always forceful in illustration, and there was 
a ripple of laughter around the sewing-room. “ Can’t 
you fancy our blue-eyed seraph in a costume like that ! ” 

“ Of course, one must wear what custom has made 
the right thing,” said Edith, patting her fur affectionately, 
“ but all the same — ” 

“I’m very thankful to be modern and up-to-date,” 
said Elsie. “ If Alice and I took to queer dressing, we’d 
be ‘ the observed of all observers.’ It’s very conspicuous 
to be a twin anyway.” 

“ But you have your advantages,” said Helen. “ You 
can always buy things, two-for-a-quarter, where we 
separate personages have to pay fifteen cents a-piece.” 
207 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Helen always has such an eye to the main chance, 
she would have loved to be a twin,” said Ruth. 

“ No, I’m contented with my sphere — the position 
of only daughter is very pleasant.” 

Miss Pierce looked forward to these lively afternoons. 
The chatter of the girls chased away the silence of the 
big sewing-room, and the lonely little seamstress forgot 
her prim ways and remembered her youth, in laughing 
with them. 

By the middle of January, Hugh’s ship was on its 
way across the ocean, and by the end of the month, 
Mrs. Trent’s serene presence had vanished from among 
them. The end came quietly ; it was as if she had folded 
her hands and passed away in her sleep. Philip was 
stunned at first. Even though expected, the blow fell 
swiftly. One day the sunlight streamed in at the big 
bay window where she sat, showering its healthful rays 
upon her fragile figure, the next — it fell upon her vacant 
chair, and reverent hands shut it out gently from the 
quiet room where she lay, in the midst of a world of 
flowers. 

The girls were all profoundly stirred, and hovered 
around Rita, who seemed heartbroken. Since the great 
Trent failure the family had withdrawn from many of 
their friends — a fatal mistake if friendship counts for 
anything — and so the Trents were practically alone in 
their time of stress, save for a few old servants, who 
were faithful, and a few tried friends, who would not 
be shaken off. 

Mrs. Ormesby, who liked the grave young man and 
his quiet ways, went at once to him in his trouble, and 
the “ Seven ” did what they could to lighten the burden 
in the darkened home. 

“ I cannot bear to break things up,” Philip said, when 
208 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the funeral was over, and Mrs. Ormesby asked him about 
his plans, “ but I can’t leave Rita here alone. I do not 
want to sell these precious bits of home, and the poor 
little girl loves them as much as I do. Mother never 
planned ahead ; she knew how it pained me, and I con- 
fess I’m at sea.” 

“ I was thinking,” said Mrs. Ormesby, “ how nice it 
would be if Fred’s little motherless girl could have Rita 
as a companion and guide. Her very misfortune places 
her apart from other girls, and if Fred could move his 
family here — it is hardly a stone’s throw away — and it 
would solve your problem if we could arrange it. I 
know a nice middle-aged woman who would take the 
housekeeping off her hands, and the children would inevi- 
tably chase the shadows away and brighten her up.” 

Philip brightened himself, as Mrs. Ormesby drew the 
picture. “ Of course,” she continued, “ this arrangement 
may not be permanent, but it would relieve your mind 
just now regarding Rita, and you could make other 
plans when College closes. Shall I see what I can do ? ” 

“ You are so kind,” said Philip, “ I hardly know 
how to thank you. My plans are unsettled. I should 
not care to tie to College work; I need a more active life. 
I had thought of the law in the old days, but I cannot 
take the time for the study, now. I have an ambition 
to become something in the financial world, to retrieve 
in part, what my father forfeited, and I think I should 
be fairly capable. However,” with a short sigh, “ that’s 
in the future. The College needs me just now, and my 
place is there. I can never forget what you’ve all done 
for me, never.” 

Thus encouraged, Mrs. Ormesby laid the situation 
before Fred. He looked at her comically, and ran his 
hands through his hair. 


209 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ How am I ever to succeed as a disciplinarian if, the 
minute I train these youngsters of mine to Spartanlike 
endurance, you fling them back into the lap of luxury? 
Of course we’ll come, because little Miss Rita is a trump, 
and shouldn’t be left alone. She couldn’t come here, 
because there’s not space enough to squeeze in a hairpin, 
but just now, with mid- winter examinations staring me 
out of countenance — ” 

“ Trust to us,” said Helen, who happened to be with 
her mother. “ There is very little we ‘ Seven ’ cannot do, 
let me tell you. An hour’s energetic work will dispose 
of your whole establishment. You can store what furni- 
ture you don’t need, and the rest will find plenty of house- 
room in that big place.” 

He laughed. “ You put the picture before me in a 
few bold strokes. I won’t be utterly helpless, but if you 
will convey the live stock, meaning the kids and the 
puppy, with their own particular and peculiar belongings, 
I’ll attend to the still-life portion of the concern. Nora, 
of course, must seek another field of labor; bless her 
dear Irish soul, I can give her a reference for endur- 
ance.” 

And so quickly was it all settled, that within a week 
the Bandbox was deserted, and before Philip went back 
to his work, he had become accustomed to the ring of 
the young voices, and could smile over the wordy bat- 
tles between the brother and sister, in which Will, with 
his keener sense of humor, usually came out the victor. 
Even the Prince grew accustomed to his new surround- 
ings, and the fact that he could really turn around three 
times before settling down into a comfortable position, 
was balm to his doggish soul. 

Kitty, at once, took Rita under her protection, and 
it was a pretty sight to see the two together, for Rita’s 


210 


HELEN ORMESBY 


gentle ways showed their unconscious influence in toning 
down the little tomboy, and a certain girlish sweetness 
rose to the surface in Kitty’s gentler moments. 

“ One by one the roses fall ! ” sighed Ruth, when 
Philip Trent had told them good-by and turned his back 
on the city. “ The masculine gender is slowly but surely 
being stricken from our social grammar. What next, 
I wonder ! ” 

“ Say, rather ‘ Who next ? ’ ” said Sylvia, and her 
question was answered in the most unexpected way. 

“ Helen, can you spare me a few minutes ? ” asked her 
father, one morning as they rose from the breakfast-table, 
and Helen, wondering, followed him into his den, a cozy 
little room shut off from the farther end of the library. 
She could remember all through her small girlhood, with 
what awe this very room had inspired her. “ Father in 
his den ” was a very different person from the genial 
“ Daddy ” of the library or the nursery. Childish dif- 
ficulties were always adjusted in this sacred retreat, where 
“ Father ” sat upon all important matters with a grave, 
judicial countenance, so, although in a measure she had 
outgrown these feelings, she knew that something mo- 
mentous was in the very air. 

“ Sit down, my dear,” he said, in what Helen after- 
ward described to her mother as his “ austerely paternal 
tone,” as he pushed a big chair impressively forward. 
Helen sank into its depth and waited. Mr. Ormesby sat 
down before his big table-desk and sorted some im- 
portant-looking papers, making various little jottings on 
a small pad ; finally he looked up with this startling an- 
nouncement : 

“ Helen, I sail for England on the fifteenth of 
March.” 

Helen bounced up in her chair; this was something 


21 1 


HELEN ORMESBY 


quite outside of her calculations. Her father smiled in 
spite of himself : 

“ I knew it would strike you ; it did your mother, 
but it seems inevitable at this crisis. There was a Direc- 
tors’ meeting last week and the choice fell upon me, I 
cannot shirk the responsibility.” 

“ Of course not,” she answered promptly. “ Does it 
mean much ? ” 

“ A whole lot — it might mean failure, against which 
I try to be forearmed, but it may mean success, which, 
in that case, would be stupendous. What I want to do, 
is to husband my resources, and that is why I’m consult- 
ing you. What can you suggest ? ” 

“ I can’t tell,” said Helen warily, “ I don’t know ex- 
actly where you stand.” 

“ Neither do I,” he said frankly. “ That problem will 
not be solved until I reach the other side, but I thought 
in the meantime, if we could manage a little more re- 
trenchment of household expenses, so that I might put 
by something for a rainy day, in case things went 
wrong — ” 

“ I see,” said Helen gravely, “ now let me think — I 
suppose this is where we come in — the ‘ Seven,’ I mean.” 

“ Well perhaps so, though, in this instance I confess, 
it is your judgment solely upon which I rely. Suppose 
you think it over and evolve some economical plan in, 
say, a week’s time.” 

“ I’m always evolving economical plans ; they’re al- 
ways simmering, and now that you’ve stirred the pot, 
they’re bubbling over. Would you like to hear one of 
them ? ” 

“ Provided it’s not a Castle in the air.” 

“ Now, Daddy, aren’t we pinned to the earth, and 
aren’t we doing the severely practical with all our honest 


212 


HELEN ORMESBY 


might and main? Wait, I’ll be back in a moment, I 
want to show you something,” and she was up and out of 
the room in a flash. Five minutes later she came back 
with a small ledger, which she handed to her father. 
“ These are my Farm accounts,” she explained. “ Will 
you just glance over them? ” 

He opened the book with some curiosity, and turned 
over page after page, filled with Helen’s neat figures. 

“ You’re quite a book-keeper,” he remarked, in his 
fatherly, patronizing manner, then as he began to study 
the careful work, his interest grew keener. 

“ Why, see here ! ” he exclaimed. “ Have you made 
a mistake, or do you mean to tell me that these big sums 
you have jotted down from time to time are really your 
profits ? ” 

Helen nodded. 

“ Exactly what I mean. The Farm — even the little 
corner I’ve been working — is a paying proposition, with 
a good head to supervise it.” 

“Whose, for instance? Jerry seems to me both 
honest and capable.” 

“ Jerry’s a dear ; he can do nicely whatever he’s told, 
but mine is the head. I made all that profit out of a 
meager supply of winter vegetables and butter and eggs. 
Fred Gayle has been a wonderful help, of course. His 
pleasant ways have attracted a long list of customers, 
but I’ve been thinking lately that the Farm ought to yield 
us a good deal more. There are possibilities in chickens, 
for instance, beyond the dreams of avarice. There’s the 
dairy, too! and as for the flowers, it is well known 
that we have the finest conservatories for miles around. 
Jerry brings in a cartload for the house twice a week, and 
he says you couldn’t tell they had been picked. They are 
just wasted. There’s an acre or so planted in straw- 
213 


HELEN ORMESBY 


berries. Jerry says the yield will be enormous this sea- 
son. We’ll have our hands full in the spring, for the 
* Seven ’ love out-door life, and my idea is, that if we 
work things in the right way we will make enough to 
more than cover our expenses out there.” 

“ I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Mr. Ormesby, a funny 
little note of respect in his voice, that was secretly very 
gratifying to Helen, though she wisely made no comment. 
“ Your mother and I have been talking over a plan,” he 
continued, “ which seems to me to coincide with many 
of your really practical ideas. I may be abroad at least 
three months, and we thought if you girls would be will- 
ing to close this house by the fifteenth of March, the 
backbone of the winter would be broken sufficiently to 
make living out there quite endurable. You could come 
in and out, of course, whenever you wished, and it would 
merely be one establishment instead of two, which would 
simplify matters and reduce expenses — do you see? ” 

“ I see better than that,” said Helen. “ I think with 
the Farm fund steadily growing, there is no reason why 
we cannot bear the entire expense during your absence; 
it’s only for three months, and if it eats up my whole 
surplus, it will be money well spent, but I have such firm 
faith in the financial prowess of the Ormesby family, 
that I can’t think of failure for you, Daddy, dear.” 

“ Then it’s settled, you would all be willing to move 
out to the Farm?” 

Helen raised a restraining hand. “ Not so fast, you 
impetuous boy. I have to lay the matter before the Club, 
and we have to pass upon it in regular form. Our rules 
are strictly parliamentary. The plan sounds very 
feasible,” she added, in her gravest tone, though her eyes 
danced with fun. “ I will let you have the report as 
soon as possible.” 


214 


HELEN ORMESBY 


The formal conference being at an end, Helen 
perched herself on her father’s knee and laid her head 
upon his shoulder. “Oh, Daddy, how we shall miss 
you ! ” she cried, and two or three real salt tears glistened 
on his black coat ; then she dropped a light kiss upon his 
forehead, caught up her ledger, and departed to call a 
council of war. On her way she peeped in*at her mother’s 
boudoir. 

“ The confab is over,” she said. “ The Farm plan is 
a * go,’ Mummie. Daddy will tell you the outcome, I 
must summon the Clan. I feel like Roderick Dhu or 
James Fitz James, or the whole bunch rolled into one. 
It’s very exciting,” and Helen sped away, full of that 
unfailing enthusiasm which was always so inspiring. 

A consultation in the morning was quite out of the 
order of the day, and the wondering girls assembled in 
Helen’s room — Edith and Sylvia lugging the darning-bag. 

“We can’t be idle with this mountain confronting us,” 
explained Edith, “ and on our darning day there is 
always an overflow ; take a stocking apiece, girls, you can 
think better if you are occupied. Now, then, Helen, 
what’s up ? ” And Helen plunged in with such eagerness 
that she had the girls with her in a moment. 

“The j oiliest thing I ever heard,” declared Sylvia, 
“ New York is abominable in March, with the wind and 
the rain, to say nothing of the snow.” 

“ It’s windy out at the Farm, too, don’t deceive your- 
self,” warned Helen. 

“ Oh, we know,” said Alice, “ but there’s the promise 
of spring in the very open, and it’s beautiful to be on the 
spot and watch it come. Elsie and I used to have all 
sorts of fantastic ideas about the coming of spring, when 
we were little children ; we used to play so much in our 
big old-fashioned garden that we always contended that 
215 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the flowers told us ; we used to sit for hours close to the 
bare ground and watch the tiny little tender shoots which 
seemed to spring up overnight, and Uncle Ned, our old 
gardener, said that we conjured up the very roses on the 
bushes, we grew so wise in all the flower secrets.” 

This was a long speech from Alice, who was usually 
quiet and reserved. Helen looked at her in surprise. 
The twins had often surprised her; she had not given 
them credit for so much depth, though she had liked 
their sweet Southern ways, with the odd accentuations of 
speech, which, while most attractive, seemed quite for- 
eign to the others. The slow and easy grace of their 
movements was very deceptive ; they glided through their 
tasks, while the others hurried in true Yankee fashion, 
but never once had they been found behindhand in ac- 
complishment. The dreamy Southern eyes were the 
windows of two very active young souls, and so when 
Alice spoke as she did, Helen clapped her hands softly. 

“ I believe you’re a poet,” she said. 

“ No, neither is Elsie, we just love the things that 
grow — that’s all — we’ve lived so much in the open, you 
see, and this idea of going into the country is a perfect 
delight.” 

“ Girls, the country work of the twins is cut out for 
them. We’ll hand them over the conservatories and the 
flower garden, and I daresay the vegetable customers will 
give us orders for flowers as well. Josephine and Ruth 
will have charge of the poultry, which will of course in- 
clude eggs, and Sylvia and Edith had better learn the 
mysteries of the dairy — how does that suit ? ” 

They all beamed approval. 

“ I'm going to stick to my vegetables and small fruits,” 
continued Helen, “ and if among us we cannot make the 
Farm pay, why the ‘ Seven * will disband. Jerry has a 
216 


HELEN ORMESBY 


good force out there, so we’ll have plenty of help with the 
rougher work. What we will have to do is to manage 
and plan and see that orders are filled.” 

“ How about the housework and the cooking ? ” asked 
Josephine. 

“ Oh, we’ll have our share I daresay, but Mrs. Denni- 
son takes charge out there, and our own force of servants 
is quite enough. We’ll do the mending and darning, and 
attend to our rooms, and help Ann in the kitchen, and 
be ready to lend a hand when needed, and I think we’ll 
enjoy the change of routine. Besides, if Daddy leaves 
us, we won’t feel so deserted out in the country. We’ll 
be so busy sitting on the ground and watching the little 
shoots spring up — as Alice so beautifully remarks — that 
time will fly, and honestly, I don’t think Mother could 
stand the loneliness of this big house with the Master 
gone.” 

“ Then put it to vote at once,” said Ruth briskly, “ for 
the sooner we begin to study our new vocations, the 
better; the greatest novel in the world will have to wait 
another three months, I’m afraid, while I learn the ways 
of downy chicks and pullets and roosters and hens — and 
eggs.” 

“ ‘ Hang up the fiddle and the bow,’ ” sang Josephine, 
“ henceforward we will lead an active life, Ruth, you 
and I.” 

“ I think our lot is the best,” said Edith. “ Your 
dairy is a pattern, Helen. I peeped into it that day we 
spent at the Farm, it looked so cool and clean and 
white.” 

“And to skim real cream off of a pan of milk that 
isn’t watery blue, will put me in the seventh heaven,” said 
Sylvia ecstatically. “ I really think this little hitch in the 
Ormesby finance department was specially arranged for 
217 


HELEN ORMESBY 


seven ignoramuses,” pursued Sylvia, “ it makes me 
shudder to think what helpless beings we were in the old 
days.” 

“ Young ladies, in the words of Professor Felton, let 
me again remind you that our education is never com- 
pleted,” quoted Helen. “ There are situations and con- 
ditions out at the Farm not dreamed of in your philos- 
ophy.” 

“ When the Chief quotes Shakespere, it’s time to 
run ! ” cried Ruth. “ Let’s have our vote, girls, and go 
to our daily jobs.” 

So that very evening Helen was able to lay the formal 
acceptance of the new proposition on her father’s desk. 

“ The vote was unanimous,” she said. “ I told you, 
Daddy, how the ‘ Seven ’ would do. We don’t believe in 
sitting down quietly and waiting for things to come to 
us ; we’re constantly looking for new worlds to conquer ; 
it’s been a sort of watchword for us this year. We’re 
going to make good.” 

“ I almost think you will, but I’ll reserve my verdict 
until my return.” 

The next three weeks flew as if on wings, there was 
so much to do in preparing the big house for a longer 
nap than usual, that the* day of Mr. Ormesby’s departure, 
and the exodus to the Farm, was upon them before they 
knew it. At first it was decided that only Mrs. Ormesby 
and Helen should see the traveler on his way, but at the 
final moment, Helen herself changed their plan. 

“ Mummie and I would be so horribly choky that we 
would disgrace ourselves. No, we’ll all go, and give him 
a great send-off ; it’s much better.” 

And so it was, for Mr. Ormesby’s last sight of them 
as he stood on deck, staring with dimmed eyes across 
the ever-widening distance, he carried with him through 
218 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the long months ; just a group of bright, loving, glowing 
young faces, with his wife and Helen beside them, the 
two bronze heads so dear to him and so curiously alike, 
catching the sparkling rays of the winter sunlight. They 
were all smiling bravely, and he smiled too, and waved 
his handkerchief until he could see them no more, and 
they turned away, not back to the deserted house, but 
to the Farm, with its many allurements and its untried 
fields. 


15 


CHAPTER XIII 


F OR two days after their arrival at the Farm, things 
looked very gray and hopeless. It rained inces- 
santly, and the big Elizabethan hall, with its ingle 
nook and its cheerful fire, was a veritable Mecca to the 
“ Seven/’ while the winds blew in perfect tornadoes, and 
the rain pattered dismally on the tin roof, and drove 
against the window-panes. 

Of course there was much to do in settling down and 
learning all the new ways, and packing their belongings 
into the quaint gabled rooms upstairs. Mrs. Dennison 
was in her usual flutter over the extra household, but 
soon stopped wringing her hands and looking worried, 
when she saw how quietly and dexterously care was lifted 
from her shoulders. 

“ We’re going to give you a real vacation,” said Helen. 
“ You are only to supervise, Mrs. Dennison, until we 
know your country ways. It won’t take us long to learn, 
once the rain stops.” 

“ I wouldn’t mind rain if it wasn’t so wet,” was Ruth’s 
brilliant remark. “ So much of it is so sloppy, it oozes 
into one’s brains somehow.” 

“ It certainly does,” laughed Josephine, “ if you are 
a specimen.” 

“ I don’t mind the rain, it’s all in the day’s work,” 
said Sylvia. “ It must stop sometimes, like Ruth’s pro- 
posed novel — if that ever begins.” 


220 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ What philosophy — what noble philosophy ! ” growled 
Ruth, “ and what do you know about my novel anyway ? 
There may be long and secret hours, in which I toil ‘ un- 
beknownst ’ and burn the midnight oil. Who can tell ! ” 

“ I can,” said Elsie, her faithful room-mate. “ The 
only time she ever burned any oil at all, was over a bit of 
Latin translation that she promised to work out for Fred 
Gayle.” 

“ You little villain ! ” cried Ruth, shaking her. “ I 
only tackled it for fun, and I didn’t want it to stump me. 
I’d just as soon translate it for Mrs. Dennison — so 
there ! w 

“You’re pretty safe,” said Edith, “ Mrs. Dennison 
does not run to Latin.” 

“ The idea of Mrs. Dennison running to anything is 
very amusing,” observed Alice, and as the vision of the 
good, portly lady, sprinting along, tickled each girlish 
fancy, laughter began to grow; it came in ripples first, 
and then in peals of merriment ; then it rose to shrieks as 
the girls tried in vain to stifle it. 

Mrs. Ormesby, in her room, looked up from the letter 
she was writing to her husband, and smiled sympathet- 
ically, wondering what the fun could be, and Mrs. Den- 
nison came trotting into the hall to find out what was 
the matter. The sight of her was a “ clincher ” ; the 
laughter broke out afresh. The girls flung themselves 
among the sofa-cushions, or writhed on the floor, or 
leaned against the windows, the prey of irrepressible 
laughter; they held their hands to their sides with such 
distorted countenances, that poor Mrs. Dennison, glanc- 
ing from one to the other, shook her head, and muttering 
“Jamaica Ginger,” trotted out to put her threat into 
execution. 

“ Stop her, for Heaven’s sake ! ” cried Helen, who 


221 


HELEN ORMESBY 

was the first to find her voice, and by degrees they 
simmered down. 

“I’m quite spent; I hate to laugh that way,” said 
Josephine, wiping her eyes. “ I suppose the rain got on 
our nerves and turned us into a set of gigglers. I’d 
better go out and reassure Mrs. Dennison, and get the 
mail. I saw John come up the path a while ago with the 
bag, and it had a weighty look.” 

By the time she returned, Mrs. Ormesby, eager and 
expectant, had joined the group around the fire. 

“ Your father will send a note by the pilot, of course,” 
she said to Helen, and she was not disappointed. The 
few hurried, precious lines were there, and Mrs. Ormesby 
flushed as prettily as any girl over her first love-letter. 
There was another envelope lying unheeded in her lap, 
but the cramped, angular writing attracted Helen. 

“ Mummie, we’re in for it,” she said ; “ that’s from 
Aunt Henrietta.” 

Mrs. Ormesby glanced down at it and groaned. 
“ This can only mean one thing,” she said — “ an earlier 
visit than usual. I wonder why.” 

“ May I see Daddy’s letter ? ” asked Helen. 

“ Yes, it’s only a word, of course, but it is a comfort. 
Now for this,” and Mrs. Ormesby broke the crested 
seal that Miss Darcy always used. 

Dear Marian : 

What wild goose chase is this of Will’s, dashing oil 
to Europe and leaving you to manage a perfect hornet’s 
nest of irresponsible girls ! I don’t feel easy or comfort- 
able about you, and I am coming to pay my annual visit 
earlier than usual, as soon indeed as you can assure me 
that the awful rains I hear you’ve been having haven’t 
made a perfect swamp of the place. Will you please 
tell Mary I’d like the North room aired, and the big 
open fireplace in action, at least once a day, until I come, 


222 


HELEN ORMESBY 


to take away the dampness. I always did feel that you 
were foolish to own so much property in a malarial dis- 
trict; but that’s your affair, of course. I may come on 
Xhursday — or perhaps Saturday; at any rate, John and 
Jerry can keep a lookout for me. 

Your affectionate aunt, 

Henrietta M. Darcy. 

“ Mercy on us — what a martinet Aunt Henrietta is ! ” 
exclaimed Helen when her mother had read the note 
aloud. “ What are we going to do about it ? She actually 
talks as if you were the most browbeaten person. A 
hornets’ nest indeed! I’d like to shake her. She may be 
fond of you, Mummie — I daresay she is — but she must 
be taught a thing or two.” 

“ Poor old lady ! ” said Mrs. Ormesby. “ She loves 
to come here, but she doesn’t like to show it, that’s all. 
She’s of the poor and proud kind, you know.” 

“ Yes, but she needn’t go ordering you about as if 
you were a chit of a girl — ‘ I must have this and that/ 
and ‘ see that this is done ’ and ‘ send John and Jerry 
for me ’ — and she doesn’t notice us, the mighty * Seven/ 
any more than if we were flies.” 

“ Perhaps it would be more convenient to have her 
later,” said Mrs. Ormesby doubtfully ; “ she does sound 
intensely disagreeable.” 

“ One time is as good as another,” said Helen. “Bet- 
ter have her when she wants to come, only let me invite 
her. I’d like to write her a letter that will make her sit 
up and wonder.” 

“ She may think me more browbeaten than ever,” 
laughed Mrs. Ormesby. 

“ She’ll soon change her mind when she meets you — 
wait a minute, inspiration seizes me,” and snatching one 
of Sylvia’s drawing pencils — that young person was 
223 


HELEN ORMESBY 


sketching by the window — Helen turned over Miss Hen- 
rietta’s envelope and wrote a rough draught of her reply 
on the back of it. 

“ Of course it must come from you, Mummie,” she 
said, when she had finished, “ now listen ” : 


Dear Aunt Henrietta : 

Your note has just reached me and I have put the 
matter of your coming into the hands of Helen and her 
friends. You know — for this experimental year — I am 
an honored guest in my own home, and I was not dis- 
appointed when they authorized me to extend to you 
their cordial invitation to spend your usual month at the 
farm. Of course, everything is in their hands ; but I 
have the utmost faith in their ability to make you com- 
fortable, and I have no doubt you will share this feeling 
with me when you come. 

Helen begs me to say that she is sorry about the 
North room ; that one, and two more of the larger rooms 
are already occupied by her friends, but some of the 
smaller ones have a delightful exposure, and she will 
see that you have a special one with a bay window, 
which will give you a fine view. 

We will look for you, if the day is fair, on Thurs- 
day or Saturday, as you decide. 

Yours affectionately, 

Marian D. Ormesby. 

“ Poor thing ! she’s always been accustomed to the 
North room,” said Mrs. Ormesby. 

“ Couldn’t a couple of us crowd into a small room, 
just for the short time she is to be here?” suggested 
Edith. 

“ Not easily; they are built for only one person, be- 
sides, this is an off year, you see, and Aunt Henrietta 
must expect changes. If we were really interfering with 
her comfort, it would be different,” added Helen, “ I 
224 


HELEN ORMESBY 


wouldn’t do that for the world, but the room I speak 
of is very pretty and cozy. Now, Mummie, I know you 
are about to say ‘ it’s too late to teach old dogs new 
tricks,’ but — don’t be rude; the change of rooms won’t 
keep Aunt Henrietta away ; send the letter on your very 
best paper, and see if I’m not right.” 

So the letter was written and sent, and the tardy sun 
came out brilliantly during the few days which inter- 
vened between Miss Henrietta’s note and her coming. It 
was a beautiful sun, in spite of his uncertain behavior 
during the last few days, and the bare, brown earth grew 
warm under his kindly rays. Little patches of ice and 
snow, which had lain hidden in the shadow, melted away 
once and for all, and the frosty strength of winter was 
broken. There were still, sharp mornings when the girls 
left their warm beds reluctantly, and the nights were cold 
enough to cluster with great delight around the fire, but 
the body of the day was warm with palpitating life, and 
these girls, in their springtime, responded blithely. 

As Helen predicted, Miss Henrietta had haughtily 
accepted the invitation, and had planned to come the 
following Saturday. 

“ A bad day ! ” exclaimed Helen. “ And yet perhaps 
it’s as well she should see the worst of us, for it’s market- 
day, and the children and Rita are coming out for the 
week-end, and Fred and the Prince, later.” 

“ And my broncos are coming in the cattle car,” put 
in Ruth, “ so she’ll be treated to a Wild West show, 
probably at the very station.” 

“ Don’t frighten her, Ruth,” said Mrs. Ormesby 
anxiously. 

“ Indeed, no ; besides, my little ponies are as gentle 
as lambs, but they’ve been shut up so long in the city 
stables, that a whiff of the fresh open air may go to 
225 


HELEN ORMESBY 


their heads. However, I’ll be on hand with my lariat, 
and John won’t have a bit of trouble.” 

“Have you a lariat here? I never saw one,” said 
Sylvia curiously. 

“ Yes, coiled up like a snake at the bottom of my 
trunk. I’ve been too busy even to remember it, until 
just this minute, and I have a khaki riding suit too, which 
I shall don to enhance the picture.” 

“ We’d all better turn out to welcome the old lady,” 
said Helen, “ there’s strength in numbers, and if you, 
Mummie, are waiting in the background, with a comfort- 
able carriage, Aunt Henrietta will overlook a great deal.” 

“Are we to be forever excusing ourselves to this 
formidable lady?” asked Ruth, with menace in her eye. 

Helen laughed. “ I’m afraid that will be your role 
when she sees you and the ponies.” 

Ruth tilted her chin, a way she had when breathing 
defiance. “ Perhaps she’ll be riding one of the ponies 
before she leaves the Farm.” 

“ Not unless you knock her unconscious and bind her 
on ; and remember, girls, as Mother said, Aunt Henrietta 
must be taken with a pinch of salt. It’s her code to 
believe every one guilty till they are proved innocent, so 
her first impression of us will count for nothing.” 

It was a brilliant afternoon on the eventful Saturday, 
and the “ Seven ” were at the little flag-station in full 
force. They had tramped through the woods in their 
short skirts and sweaters, and the air had sent a glow 
to their cheeks. Ruth was in full regalia, even to the 
drooping sombrero and broad leather belt and high 
riding-boots, against which the spurs jingled as she 
walked. 

“Will and Kitty will go wild over your rig,” said 
Elsie, who admired her room-mate immensely. 

226 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Wait till I show them a few stunts on the ponies. 
Dear me, I feel as excited as a whole circus,” and Ruth 
snapped the short whip she carried, and shifted her lariat 
from one shoulder to the other. “ I should never dare 
to ride as fast here as I do on the prairies at home. 
Imagine a great stretch of almost endless plain, and me 
atop of a mettlesome young pony. I pull the rein, and 
he lays back his ears, I touch him lightly on the flanks 
with the very point of my spurs, and we’re off like the 
wind — Oh, but it’s great — that feeling of flying through 
the world! We couldn’t do it here; we’d buck into a 
tree or something and down we’d go.” 

“ Pegasus is always handy,” suggested Edith slyly. 

“ That animal is hard to mount. I fall off before I 
get on,” she admitted whimsically. “ I’m sure of myself 
on a bare-back.” 

“ I know the feeling,” said Helen, “ we’ll have many 
a ride. Ruth, I think I should love your little broncos. 
I ride our own horses a great deal out here, but always 
with John or Jerry trotting behind. There’s the train, 
now for the fun, and there comes the carriage sweeping 
down the road, with Mummie in it like a royal princess.” 

“ And there comes Fred in the market wagon,” cried 
Sylvia, “ just in time to help with the trunks and give us 
a lift home.” She pointed to the winding road on the 
other side of the little station, over which the sturdy 
grays were pulling the gay wagon at top speed. 

“ What a dramatic entrance Aunt Henrietta will 
make ! ” said Helen. “ Draw up in line, girls, we must 
impress her, whatever we do.” 

She had no time to say more; the train stopped with 
a snort, and one lonely, attenuated and elderly lady 
stepped gingerly to the platform; from the baggage car 
an equally lonely and more dilapidated trunk was dis- 
227 


HELEN ORMESBY 


gorged with a heart-rending thump, while a stampede 
from the extreme rear, caused Ruth to break ranks, with 
a glad little cry, and fly to the assistance of John, who 
had been detailed to bring the ponies out. They whinnied 
at sight of their young mistress, who had made frequent 
pilgrimages to the stables in town to see them, and Dan- 
ny, the rough little black one, began to rear and prance 
in such an alarming manner, that the old lady, though 
separated from him by a distance of some thirty feet, 
gave a wild shriek and rushed at Helen. 

“ My dear, are those dreadful animals going to be 
quartered on your place? And that horrid little cowboy 
creature that flew past me just now, seems just as wild.” 

“ How do you do, Aunt Henrietta,” said Helen with 
dignity. “ Don’t be alarmed, that is my friend, Miss 
Edgerton, one of our * Seven/ and there are the others,” 
waving her hand genially over them. “ There isn’t a 
bit of use to tell you their names now; you wouldn’t 
remember. You seem to be a trifle upset about those 
ponies ; they belong to Ruth, and that is why she ran past 
you so quickly. She understands and can manage them 
better than John. See how she’s quieting them, it’s really 
wonderful.” 

“ I don’t want to see ; training horses doesn’t sound 
to me like a very girlish occupation,” said Miss Darcy 
severely. 

“ She’s quite as good at trimming hats, and she writes 
novels for a pastime,” said Helen airily, “ you mustn’t 
judge us from mere externals, Auntie. Mother is wait- 
ing for you over there in the carriage,” and Miss Darcy 
flew to her niece and the safety of the carriage, with 
more speed than dignity. 

“ Ah, Rita, where did you come from, and where are 
the kiddies ? ” cried Helen, turning toward her gladly. 

22 8 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ They are coming in the wagon with the Prince. 
The conductor overlooked me when he was helping out 
the funny old lady, but he came back for me later. Who 
is she, Helen ?” 

“ My respected great-aunt. She’ll probably take a 
fancy to you, because you can sew and do things fem- 
inine; smooth and pat her down nicely for to-day, for 
Ruth seems to have raised every thorn and prickle; it 
was unfortunate that the ponies arrived on the same day, 
but we are no match for the fates. Come, there is a 
seat in the carriage for you beside Jerry. We’re going to 
pile into the wagon, all but Ruth. Mercy on us, that little 
brown colt has bolted, right straight across the field, and 
there goes Ruth after him on the black — look at that — 
will you ? ” and the girls all wheeled round to watch the 
exciting scene, while faint shrieks from the carriage bore 
witness to Miss Henrietta’s state of mind. On came little 
Brownie, his neck stretched forward, his ears laid back, 
and his four sturdy hoofs scattering the dust as they 
pounded along. All eyes turned to Ruth. She was riding 
easily and gracefully in true Western fashion, giving her 
horse the rein, and occasionally the spur, as he pursued 
the runaway, in long swinging strides. 

“ Watch me catch him ! ” she called to her comrades, 
as she whirled past the little station; she was gaining 
steadily, riding with the lariat coiled in one hand, her 
bridle in the other. Then suddenly there was a whizzing 
sound, the rope shot out and the noose slipped over the 
head of the astonished Brownie, who, thus jerked to a 
standstill, snorted defiance. The girls applauded from 
the platform, even Jerry stood up to see the race, but 
Miss Henrietta, leaning forward, pulled him by the coat- 
tails. 

“ Sit down, please,” she commanded, in her sternest 
229 


HELEN ORMESBY 


tones. “These horses will be bolting next; look at their 
ears. If your blessed father could see how you run 
things, Marian, he’d turn in his grave. I wonder at your 
allowing it.” 

“If you mean Jerry — ” began Mrs. Ormesby. 

“ Oh, I mean everything, that rough-rider girl, and 
those skittish horses of hers — wild horses, too — career- 
ing over the place.” 

“ Beggin’ your pardon, Miss Darcy,” said Jerry, turn- 
ing round, “ them horses isn’t wild, Miss Ruth’s just 
trained ’em to do tricks like a circus. They sure do know 
how to ride out West,” and Jerry gazed with admiration 
at the girlish figure on the black horse, sharply silhou- 
etted against the blue sky. Ruth had coiled the 
lariat until her captive’s head was close to Danny’s, and 
she brought the two horses at a gentle canter up to the 
little station. 

“ We’ve all had such a good time,” she said, springing 
down and putting an arm around each shaggy neck. 
“ Brownie was spoiling for a run, I knew, and a chase 
like that works off a lot of surplus energy. They’ll both 
be quite gentle when they get to the stable. Were you 
frightened, Rita?” 

“ Oh, no, but the old lady was.” 

Ruth glanced at the severely straight and disap- 
proving back which Miss Henrietta had turned upon 
her. 

“ I must go over and make my peace, and the sooner 
the better,” she said decidedly. “ Here, John, hold the 
ponies — Come, Rita, I’ll use you as a flag of truce, per- 
haps she may smile upon me — who knows ! ” 

But Miss Henrietta did not smile. She acknowledged 
the introduction stiffly, and extended two fingers. 

“ I trust I may never see such an exhibition again,” 
230 


HELEN ORMESBY 


she remarked, when Ruth apologized for having fright- 
ened her. 

“ It was rather tame, I’ll try and give you a better 
show next time,” said that irrepressible young person, in 
her sweetest tones, as she settled Rita comfortably. “ I 
was sorry not to be among the welcoming committee, 
Miss Darcy, but my ponies were getting restive, and I 
had to give them a run, or there’d been trouble. 
Au revoir, I will see you at the house. I’m going to ride 
Brownie and lead Danny; they are jealous of the least 
partiality,” and Ruth turned away, while Jerry put the 
big bays into a trot. 

The market-wagon was fast becoming something 
more than a gay speck in the distance, and by the time 
Ruth reached the others, the clamorous voices of the 
youngsters were borne to them. They were rummaging 
in the bottom of the wagon for stray apples or carrots 
or turnips, that had been left over from the day’s deliv- 
eries. They had discovered the ponies the very first 
thing, and had been interested spectators of Ruth’s ex- 
hibition. 

“That was a jolly run you gave them! ” cried Will, 
almost tumbling from the wagon before it had quite 
slowed up. “ I say — but they are beauties ; let me mount 
the black one, I can hold on by his mane. I’m not a bit 
afraid.” 

Ruth laughed. “ Danny needs a formal introduction, 
otherwise you’d be over his head before you touched his 
back. He’s docile enough with his friends, but he has 
to make your acquaintance in his own way, and Brownie 
follows Danny in all things. Feed him and pat him and 
rub his nose once in awhile, and he’ll soon come round. 
Brownie likes the ladies best. Look how he’s eying 
Kitty.” 


231 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ It’s just the size of the apple she’s carrying, that’s 
attracting him,” said Will contemptuously. “ He’s calcu- 
lating how many bites it will make.” 

However that might be, Brownie certainly broke into 
a faint unmistakable whinny as Kitty came up to him, and 
submitted to her almost timid caress. Then he munched 
the pieces of apple she gave him and allowed her to hold 
his bridle while Ruth mounted, caught Danny’s bridle 
in her hand, and cantered away. The children scampered 
back into the wagon, and the half-dozen girls piled in. 

“ Well, I’m glad that ordeal is over,” said Helen, with 
a sigh of relief. “ I assure you, girls, I’ve been dreaming 
of Aunt Henrietta and her coming, and really it turned 
out better than I expected ; now if the dear old lady will 
only bow to the inevitable and accept things gracefully, 
all will be well.” 

“ I can’t fancy Miss Darcy bowing to anything, with 
that perpendicular back,” said Edith. 

“ ■ What makes her squint so and screw up her eyes ? ” 
asked Sylvia. 

“ She’s horribly nearsighted and won’t wear glasses. 
Mother says it’s a matter of history that once she met 
a cow in the road, rubbing herself against a telegraph 
pole; she thought it was some acquaintance bowing to 
her, and bowed back courteously; it’s been a family joke 
for ages. Hurry, Fred, I told Jerry to take the long road, 
so that we could get home before them; we’re going to 
make a quick change and surprise the old lady. Ruth 
will be way ahead of us. Those ponies go like the wind. 
Did you get any orders for us in our new lines ? ” 

Fred laughed and slapped his pockets. “ Just you 
wait and see. I’ll have to have a business conference 
with the ‘ Seven.’ We’re branching out in every direc- 
tion. It’s positively awful — I’ll need an assistant before 
232 


HELEN ORMESBY 


College closes, for I’m only good for Saturdays until 
vacation. Why, this gigantic place could become a 
regular business if it is run properly/’ 

Helen’s eyes gleamed. “ We’ll talk it over after tea- 
time. We’ll assemble in the attic; it’s the best place for 
a business conference. Now we are all for ceremonials; 
Aunt Henrietta has been scandalized enough for one 
day, she needs a cup of tea and some of our best cake to 
soothe her ruffled plumage.” 

And lo and behold! when Jerry, after discreet mean- 
derings, at length pulled up before the broad portico, 
seven smiling girls, in pretty house gowns, showed them- 
selves at the door to welcome the new arrival, and the 
old lady, peering with her near-sighted eyes, could find 
no trace of the little cow-boy figure that had darted past 
her but a short time before. 

For a few moments she sat in frigid silence, while 
the girls chatted and flew around, making the great hall 
cozy for the afternoon tea. Once in awhile she put up 
her lorgnette when some bright sally drew forth a gentle 
gale of laughter; and when the children and the Prince 
joined the group, and Fred made his appearance, freshly 
washed and combed and curried, she gave a faint shudder 
and folded her thin hands with resignation. But she 
could not long resist the pleasant girlish voices humming 
around her, and when Ruth passed her a feathery bit of 
sponge cake, saying in her gentlest tones: 

“ Please try some, Miss Darcy, it is my own special 
make,” she was not sure, but she thought she saw the 
grim lines of the old lady’s mouth relax into the shadow 
of a smile. Later, the children having been lured into the 
open by the loan of Helen’s kodak, and Miss Henrietta, 
in her most benign mood, left dozing by the fire, the 
girls slipped away to their rendezvous in the attic. 

233 


HELEN ORMESBY 


It was a long, low place, piled with trunks and the 
usual array of discarded furniture and defunct por- 
traits, but tidy Mrs. Dennison had not allowed the dust 
to get very thick over things. Helen’s quick eye dis- 
covered a battered old desk — a very ancient desk indeed 
— propped up on three legs, in a far corner, and her 
mathematical soul rejoiced. 

“ Girls, this is to be our counting-room,” she an- 
nounced, “ we will hold our conferences every Saturday, 
right here, when Fred turns in the cash and you turn in 
the accounts ; it will be great fun.” 

“ It seems like counting one’s chickens before they’re 
hatched,” said Josephine, whose mind dwelt on poultry 
and eggs. 

“ Not at all, we can have immense orders for eggs 
while we are waiting for the incubators,” said Ruth 
cheerfully. “ I’m just crazy to see the little chicks come 
out. I’m so afraid they’ll break through the shell at night 
and we’ll miss it.” 

“ I like an old settin’ hen best,” observed Elsie. 

“ She’s not progressive, my dear,” said Sylvia. “ The 
modern up-to-date hen accomplishes much more when 
she’s not kept at home brooding over her eggs — when 
they’re out of the shell, she can mother an adopted family 
of any size and dimension.” 

“ Miss Browne, this discourse is certainly not in your 
line,” said Ruth severely. “ You’ve been dipping into 
some of my books on poultry.” 

“ They’re fascinating,” admitted Sylvia. 

“ Let me advise you to keep to your cows and your 
milk-pans,” warned Helen. 

“ And curds and cream,” put in Edith mildly. “ We 
have our compensations.” 

“ Here comes Fred! ” cried the twins, as they heard 
234 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the creak of his boots on the attic stairs, and the next 
moment he burst in among them, quite breathless. 

“ I had a narrow escape from the kids ; they’ve been 
snapping their Kodak at me, until I don’t believe I have 
a thought or a feeling not expressed in photography. 
Now, young ladies, you’re in for it. See here,” and he 
drew out his lists as he dusted a place on the floor, and 
sat down among them. “ Every mother’s daughter of 
Miss Helen’s original customers wants butter and eggs 
and milk and cream. I didn’t even mention chickens, 
because we’re not speculating.” 

“ In the bright lexicon of the incubator, there’s no 
such word as fail,” put in Helen. 

“ A chicken in the wagon is worth two in the shell,” 
answered Fred in the same vein, “ and for the flower 
orders — ” 

“ Yes, yes ! ” cried the twins excitedly. 

“You’ll grow mere shadows attending to them. 
When people heard that the Ormesby conservatories 
were to be open to the public — well — they smothered me 
with orders. There were two cotillions planned on the 
spot, and I believe one couple decided suddenly on a 
wedding, just to see what white flowers you can supply. 
And Nabb, the florist, wants whatever surplus you have 
at the end of each week — and — and so forth. There’s no 
end to the flowers. Vegetables are as usual, Miss Helen, 
4 they eat stiddy,’ as Jerry says, but there’s considerable 
smacking of lips over the spring supply and the coming 
strawberries.” 

“ To say nothing of the orchard fruits if I can keep 
the small boys away — they climb up overnight, Jerry 
says, and steal the cherries, for instance.” 

44 Shoot ’em,” suggested Fred in his pleasant tones. 

“ No, not yet. I’ll try some other way first ; I have 

235 


16 


HELEN ORMESBY 


some ideas that may work. In the meantime I’ll look 
around for an assistant for you, Fred, for Fm afraid 
even in vacation time, you’ll find your hands too full. 
Girls, this business is bigger than I thought. Are you 
afraid to tackle it ? ” 

“ Afraid ! ” cried Ruth, to whom fear of any kind 
was unknown. “ Just wait and see.” 

“ All right then,” said Fred, distributing his lists, 
“ these are the orders for next Saturday. When that 
unknown savior, my assistant, comes on the scene, we’ll 
make it twice a week. Now for the serious question: 
shall I turn the money into one universal lap, or shall 
I give each — each firm I might say — its own special earn- 
ings ? ” 

“ Oh, the universal lap for me,” said Josephine. “ I 
hate accounts. Helen is so good at that, you know.” 

‘Til be no universal lap for anybody,” said Helen 
firmly. “ You’ll all keep your separate accounts and 
bring them to me every Saturday.” 

A groan showed the popular feeling, but the Chief 
held her ground. 

“ I have said ! ” she declared, holding up two fingers, 
like the famous Caliph of Bagdad, and the others felt 
that the fiat had gone forth. 


CHAPTER XIV 


A UNT HENRIETTA, Fm going on a tour of in- 
spection, would you like to come ? ” 

Helen looked in at the pretty room where 
Miss Henrietta sat knitting by the bay window. It was 
a beautiful day and the spring sunshine flooded the place. 

“To inspect what?” inquired Miss Henrietta, lifting 
her head, and firing her question like a bullet. 

“ Well,” said Helen dubiously, “ you can take your 
choice. There are the incubators and a thousand little 
new chickens, and there’s the dairy where Sylvia and 
Edith are skimming milk and churning butter, and in 
the conservatories I scarcely know what is going on. 
The twins are so busy they hardly have time to breathe 
in work hours. Then there’s my strawberry patch, and 
the budding fruit-trees, and all my young lettuce and 
radishes are coming up — oh, the spring is wonderful out 
here ! ” cried the girl, in the exuberance of her youth and 
health. 

“ I find it chilly,” said Old Age from the other side 
of the gulf, “ and the draughts of this place send my 
rheumatism shooting up and down my back.” 

“ Too bad,” said Helen soothingly, “ but out of doors 
there is no chink for a draught, and the fresh air will 
do you good — come.” 

“ Where’s your mother ? ” — another bullet. 

“ In town ; there were several things to attend to, 
and Mother took the train, Jerry will drive her out later.” 
“ Has the mail come? ” — bullet number three. 

237 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Oh, yes, long ago,” said Helen imperturbably, “ but 
really, Aunt Henrietta, time presses, and I have to 
make my circuit. I don’t want to leave you alone for 
so long.” 

“ How far do you have to go ? ” 

“ Only about three or four miles ; the exercise will 
do you good.” 

“ Mercy, child, I’d be in my grave after a tramp like 
that. Even when I was younger I wasn’t what one might 
call a pedestrian.” 

“Auntie, did you think I was going to make you 
walk ! ” exclaimed Helen, breaking into an infectious 
laugh. “No wonder you jumped on me.” 

“ Helen — ” Miss Darcy’s needles clicked together at 
the final stitch on the row, and she laid her knitting in 
her lap, “ I am very much disappointed at the result 
of what is called higher education. Of course I know 
that your last remark was merely a modern figure of 
speech — ” 

“ Real slang, ma’am, I own up,” said Helen contritely. 

“ As a matter of fact,” pursued Miss Darcy, “ I never 
‘ jumped ’ on anything or anybody in my life, I some- 
times set my foot down peremptorily.” 

“That’s what I meant,” said Helen humbly. “You 
remember the old song which goes — ‘ When the coster 
isn’t jumping on his Mother’ — I never really believed 
that the coster actually did jump on his mother with both 
feet you know; he only used one foot figuratively, as 
you describe,” she added, without the suspicion of a 
smile. Near-sighted Miss Henrietta missed the mis- 
chievous gleam in the brown eyes, and accepted the 
apology, while Helen added : “ I told John to bring the 
phaeton round.” 

“ That’s a different matter,” said the old lady briskly, 
238 


HELEN ORMESBY 


folding up her work, and five minutes later the staid old 
horse, specially selected for the occasion, was taking them 
over the well-kept roads, for which the Ormesby estate 
was famous. 

Miss Henrietta, much mollified at this special pro- 
vision for her comfort, unbent visibly. Helen drove her 
down the beautiful avenue of poplars, the pride and 
delight of the Ormesby family. The tall, straight trees, 
looking like soldiers on guard, stood very close together 
on either side of the road, so in many instances their 
topmost branches interlaced. The air was full of inde- 
scribable spring odors, and the well-kept lawns were pale 
emerald with the tender blades of grass. The old lady 
was unusually silent, but Helen chatted on, pointing out 
this or that improvement. Finally they turned into a 
little lane, leading by a short-cut to the domain of the 
poultry. It was feeding-time and they could hear the 
peeping of the chickens and the clucking of the hens’ and 
Ruth’s professional “ Here, chick, chick, chick, here 
chick ! ” long before they really reached the inclosure. 

“ That sounds familiar,” observed Miss Henrietta. 
“ I suppose it is the only thing about chicken- raising that 
is as it was in my time.” 

“ Yes, they get hungry in just the good old way, and 
answer the same old call. I daresay the thoroughly up- 
to-date chickens could be trained to come at the sound 
of a bell. We get out here,” Helen added, as they 
stopped before a low wire gate, visible because newly 
whitewashed. Jumping out, she fastened the old horse, 
for ceremony’s sake, to a convenient post, and helped 
Miss Henrietta to alight. 

“ Take care of your skirts, Auntie,” she cautioned, 
“ the little chicks are sprawling over the place, and have 
a way of getting under one’s feet. Look over there! 

239 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Doesn’t it seem as if snow had fallen,” Helen pointed to 
a downy group of little white snow-balls. 

The old lady lifted her skirts gingerly and looked 
about her, disapprovingly. “ It seems to me a reckless 
waste of money to provide for chickens, mere chickens, 
in this royal manner,” she said. “ In my day, a few box- 
coops and a wire fence, to keep off intruders, produced 
quite a fair supply of poultry.” 

“ Yes, but you weren’t making it a business,” said 
Helen. “ The incubators turn out a brood every few 
weeks, and we must have a well-ordered place to keep 
them in. It looks like a toy village, doesn’t it ? See Ruth 
sitting over there, the presiding genius of a hen party.” 

Ruth looked up at sound of their voices; she was 
surrounded by the beautiful white hens, with a few ex- 
pectant cocks on the outer edge, and some smaller and 
very evident “broilers” pecking vigorously in front. 

“ Good morning,” she nodded, “I dare not get up ; 
I’m trying to teach my family table manners. Josephine 
is egg-hunting — we take turns — she who feeds the chick- 
ens one day, leaves the eggs and the accounts to the 
other fellow. I love to feed chickens; it’s always sur- 
prising to me where the food goes. They never take time 
to swallow, if you notice, they just peck and peck, and 
always want more — like Oliver Twist. I’ve come to the 
conclusion, Miss Henrietta, that the proper study of man- 
kind, is chickens. Helen, there’s a bench in that corner, 
your Aunt can inspect things more comfortably.” 

Helen pulled the bench out, and at the same moment, 
something odd in the appearance of the fledglings struck 
her. Ruth caught the glance and laughed into her puz- 
zled face. 

“ No, they haven’t rheumatism,” she said, “ though it 
looks that way.” And it certainly did, for each right leg 
240 


HELEN ORMESBY 


was carefully bound with a piece of pink or blue ribbon. 
“ It’s only an object-lesson for Josephine,” she explained. 
“ She can’t tell the hens from the roosters when they 
are young; and when the time comes for broilers, we 
can’t afford to sacrifice posterity to ignorance, so the 
ladies are sporting the blue ribbon, and the gentlemen the 
pink.” 

Miss Henrietta smiled in spite of herself, the girls 
had more than once brought a smile to the rather stern 
face. 

“ You see,” went on Ruth, “ all my knowledge was 
gleaned on the ranch. I’m a splendid out-of-door hand, 
I think seriously of adopting cattle-raising as my pro- 
fession.” 

“ Indeed ! ” said Miss Darcy frigidly, unaware of the 
laughter in the eyes behind the glasses. 

“ Don’t you believe her, Auntie ! ” cried Helen, rush- 
ing to the rescue, for Miss Henrietta always translated 
literally. “ There comes Josephine with her basket of 
eggs,” she added, adroitly veering from the dangerous 
topic, for Miss Henrietta always shied at Ruth’s daring 
remarks. “ How many this morning?” she called. 

“ Ten dozen ; we expect to double the supply when the 
young hens begin to lay; we’ll do a driving business by 
midsummer.” Josephine took off the broad hat she wore, 
and fanned her heated face. “ I’ve been almost standing 
on my head to get these,” she said, “ and it pleased all 
the old hens to lay downstairs to-day. You see,” she 
turned by way of explanation to Miss Henrietta, “ the 
first hen sets the fashion. There are two stories to each 
of those little houses over there, and they are divided 
into small compartments. If the first hen lays her egg in 
the lower story, the others all follow, and no amount of 
persuasion will make them change their minds. That’s 
241 


HELEN ORMESBY 


what they did this morning, and to get the eggs requires 
the skill of an acrobat.” 

“Poor old Josephine! she can play her violin and 
soar, but she can’t crawl, and there’s so much of her to 
fold up when she goes down on all-fours,” laughed Ruth. 

“ Never mind, I got the eggs anyway,” said Josephine 
.riumphantly. “ Now I’m going to take them over to the 
dairy, where they’ll keep cool till market-time.” 

“ I have room in the phaeton for either the eggs or 
you,” said Helen. 

“ The eggs, please, that will save my arms, and I can 
use my legs to better advantage. I’ll beat you there. 
Au revoir,” and Miss Henrietta gave a little gasp of sur- 
prise as dignified Josephine took a hand-spring over the 
low fence, and went whistling tunefully down the road. 

“ And you say her people are the Ashtons of Phila- 
delphia? Some of their blue-blood ancestors would turn 
in their graves if they could have seen and heard that !” 
The old lady waved her hand in the direction of the van- 
ishing Josephine. 

Helen laughed merrily. “ Auntie, if all the shocked 
ancestors did turn in their graves, there’d be daily earth- 
quakes. Josephine is just keeping herself limber ; we 
all miss the gym.” 

“ What— Who?” 

“ The gymnasium at College ; there’s hardly a boy’s 
trick that we can’t do.” 

“ I’d be ashamed to own it,” said Miss Henrietta 
severely. 

“ Why, it’s one of the features of higher education,” 
explained Ruth. “ The coming generation of broad- 
shouldered girls will live much longer than the narrow- 
chested ladies of the past. You’d have made a splendid 
athlete, Miss Henrietta, if you had been trained early,” 
242 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Ruth added, her head on one side, eying her visitor 
critically. 

This was almost too much, Miss Henrietta rose im- 
pressively and gathered her skirts about her ; she glanced 
sharply at Ruth, but that damsel, seemingly innocent of 
offence, was serenely distributing choice morsels to the 
waiting fowls. Helen turned away abruptly. Laughter 
was always very near the surface with her, and Ruth’s 
relations with their visitor were a fearful tax upon her 
gravity. She was glad when they were safely in the 
phaeton, rolling along toward the dairy, the basket of 
eggs carefully bestowed at their feet. 

“ Your friend’s manners are breezy, to say the least,” 
began Miss Henrietta after a few moment’s silence. 

“ Ruth ? Oh, she’s all right, a perfect trump when 
you really know her, and what she said was true after 
all. If you had swung dumb-bells and taken high jumps, 
as a girl, you wouldn’t have had so much rheumatism 
now.” 

“ Humph ! ” grunted the old lady, “ and that Ashton 
girl whistled too. Did you learn whistling in the gym- 
nasium ? ” 

“ No, Josephine’s our only genius, she’s a regular 
blackbird. There’s the dairy. Isn’t it lovely, amid all 
those green trees ? ” 

“ It looks like a Grecian temple,” said the old lady. 
“Your father always did have extravagant ideas.” 

“ He certainly believes in beauty,” said Helen. “ Wait 
until you see the inside, it’s really wonderful.” 

And truly it was, for even Miss Henrietta forgot to 
be critical. The whiteness of everything, with the hint 
of pale blue in the tiling, the marble slabs, the porcelain 
sinks and refrigerator, the burnished faucets, the im- 
posing array of pails and cans and bowls and bottles, and 
243 


HELEN ORMESBY 


the white churn in the corner, could not fail to impress 
even the uninftiated with the coolness and the cleanliness 
of it all. Edith, presiding at the churn, was a picture in 
her white mob cap and her blue gown, while Sylvia was 
busy bottling her milk supply and separating the cream. 

“ Look at that list,” she announced, holding it up 
to Josephine, who was sitting on one of the spotless 
benches, refreshing herself with a glass of milk. “ I 
don’t believe the Ormesbys have enough cows to supply 
the demand. Good morning S ” she called, as Helen and 
Miss Darcy appeared in the classic doorway. “ I wish 
your incubator turned out cows instead of chickens ; we 
need half-a-dozen more for business.” 

“You’d better speak to Jerry about it,” said Helen 
gravely ; “ he might be able to buy a couple of Alderneys. 
Would that tide us over? there are several fine ones on 
the next farm, and the people will be willing to sell, I 
think. Where is the list?” 

The next moment the two were deep in a business 
discussion and Miss Henrietta turned toward Edith and 
her churn, with a relieved sigh. Here was something at 
least feminine. Priscilla at her spinning-wheel could not 
be simpler or more winning, and it was an established 
fact in the household, that Edith was first favorite with 
this exacting old person. 

“ I don’t know what it is about you,” said Sylvia 
when they were talking it over, “ except that you have 
a way of adapting yourself to the situation and giving 
to the smallest thing the spiritual ‘ tone ’ which belongs 
exclusively to the angels. To see you churn, for instance, 
one would imagine you were saint somebody or other, 
making butter for the poor, you seem so glorified. It 
quite hoodwinks Miss Henrietta.” 

244 



“ Priscilla at her spinning-wheel could not be simpler or more 

winning.” 

4+i 




HELEN ORMESBY 


And so it was now ; Edith looked up with that wel- 
coming smile which lent added beauty to the flower face, 
and explained all the intricacies of the modern churn, 
while poor Josephine, feeling that for some undefinable 
reason she had been sent to Coventry, packed her supply 
of eggs into the refrigerator and departed, waving her 
empty basket in farewell. 

The conservatory was humming with business as 
Helen and her guest drove up. Elsie and Alice were 
flying about like distracted butterflies amid a riotous 
wealth of sweetness and beauty. Mary and Phyllis had 
both been pressed into service, and John, at the moment 
of their arrival, was staggering in at the door, laden with 
a mass of feathery foliage. 

“ I never saw anything like the orders for this week,” 
explained Alice, as she greeted the visitors. “ There are 
two weddings, five dinner-parties and a ball, to say 
nothing of smaller things.” 

“ How about the flowers — will they hold out ? ” asked 
Helen anxiously. 

“ Why from day to day, one could not tell they had 
been picked. Elsie and I do all our own cutting, and we 
get a basketful before breakfast each morning, I never 
imagined such profusion. Even down home there is 
neither the skill nor the money to produce such loveli- 
ness. Em so glad we were chosen for this job; it’s a 
never-ending joy.” 

“ Only we hadn’t hands enough,” said Elsie, “ until 
Mary and Phyllis offered to help us. How do you like 
us as workers, Miss Henrietta? ” 

The old lady gave a short laugh. “ This is a novelty ; 
if you had to do it, you probably wouldn’t like it as much ; 
‘ new brooms sweep clean,’ ” she added sententiously. 

245 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ But we’re not new brooms, and we’ve been sweep- 
ing pretty steadily for six months,” put in Helen. 

“ Oh, well, in my day, we were educated in the do- 
mestic arts too, but not — not this way,” with a meaning 
glance at the two servants. “We took our rightful places 
as mistresses in our households, and didn’t play at being 
something else.” 

Helen was ordinarily a very good-tempered girl, but 
this was too much ; the color flamed in her cheeks, and 
there was the light of battle in her eye. 

“ We are not playing, Aunt Henrietta,” she said, in 
a curiously low tone — the twins glanced at each other; 
only on the rarest occasions had the Chief’s rage boiled 
over, it was at the boiling point now, and her two lieuten- 
ants rushed gallantly to the rescue. 

“ Nowadays everything is done so scientifically,” said 
Alice, “that I doubt if our grandmothers could fit the 
old time housekeeping to modern needs ; modern girls are 
educated very differently.” 

“ A girl is a girl all the world over, whether she is 
ancient or modern,” said the old lady tartly. 

“ One might say the same of flowers,” answered 
Elsie, lifting a beautiful white rosebud from its nest of 
green. “ We liked the sweet old-fashioned roses that 
were plucked one hour and died the next; this is the 
same flower, but it grows in different soil and is hardier. 
Let me pin it on for you; it will last during the rest 
of your drive, and if you put it in water when you get 
home, it will be a lovely open flower in the morning.” 

She tied it loosely as she spoke, with a spray of 
maiden-hair fern and a sprig of mignonette, and bending, 
fastened it with careless grace upon the austere bosom. 
By the time this little ceremony was accomplished, Helen 
had herself well in hand, and while Elsie, who had con- 
246 


HELEN ORMESBY 


stituted herself general peacemaker, did the honors of 
the place, Helen turned to Alice, with a provoked smile. 

“ I nearly lost my temper, didn’t I ? But all the same 
when we are doing such good, honest work, I hate to hear 
it laughed at. Mummie says she can remember quite 
distinctly when Aunt Henrietta took charge of their own 
motherless household, what a time they had until she 
was old enough to take the reins. Poor Grandfather ! he 
was a peace-loving man, so he let things go. Consider- 
ing what a bad housekeeper she was, it was rather poor 
taste to preach on the domestic accomplishments of the 
girls of her day.” 

“ It reminds me of a lady Mother once met,” said 
Alice. “ She had beautiful ideas about the bringing up 
of girls, and discoursed so poetically about them, that 
Mother innocently inquired how many daughters she 
had. ‘ Five boys,’ she answered promptly.” 

Helen’s laugh rang out merrily, and the cloud was 
gone by the time the others came back. 

“ I’m going to take you through the orchard, Aunt 
Henrietta. That’s my domain, with the strawberry patch 
on one side and the vegetable garden on the other. I 
want a word or two with Jerry; then we’ll drive home 
by the highway, if you don’t mind.” 

They found Jerry among the strawberry beds, bend- 
ing over the flourishing young plants, and handling the 
green leaves as if they were living things. 

“ They’re cornin’ on fine, Miss Helen,” he said, touch- 
ing his cap to the ladies. “ By the end of May, you’ll 
have prize berries.” 

“ And the orchard ? ” 

“ I’ve got my men out there to-day, Miss. You’ll may- 
be have fine cherries and peaches and pears, though 
there’s no tellin’,” and Jerry shook his head. “ If we 
247 


HELEN ORMESBY 


can only get over blossomin’ time without them boys! 
I wish I could have a spring trap and catch ’em by the 
noses — just one or two,” he added savagely. 

“ Why, Jerry! ” said Miss Henrietta reprovingly. 

“ Yes, ma’am, that’s what I wish ; a tweak on the ear 
ain’t no good; a boy can skin up a cherry-tree after he 
wrenches loose from me, but a trap’s a different thing. 
You think it over, Miss Helen,” and Jerry winked good- 
naturedly at his young mistress, being a privileged 
character. 

“ Helen ! ” gasped Miss Henrietta, “ does Will — does 
your father allow such cruelty on his place ? ” 

“ We have to employ stringent measures, Auntie,” 
said Helen soberly, “ but I’ll consider about the traps — 
one’s nose is a very tender feature. I may be able to 
catch them some other way. There’s quite a band of 
them, isn’t there?” 

“ Yes, ma’am, an’ there’s Satan himself at the head, 
Jimmy Doyle has just growed up wrigglin’ out of the 
grasp of the law. His mother’s a God-fearin’ woman ; 
she lives a piece down the road, an’ Bridget has her in 
oncet in awhile for a day’s help. She was talkin’ about 
Jimmy only last week. She says she has a hard time 
patchin’ his trousers — they’re always tore from climbin’ 
other folks’ trees, and she always has to put three or 
four thicknesses of cloth, because he gits such a terrible 
lot of canin’ from the hoppin’ mad farmers around here, 
an’ it’s him that leads the whole gang. I ain’t never 
caught him yet — he’s so slick — but when I do — ” Jerry’s 
unfinished sentence conveyed volumes. 

“ Isn’t Jimmy the tall boy with red hair that I meet 
tramping down the road sometimes ? ” asked Helen cu- 
riously. 

“ Yes, Miss, that’s the chap, you could see that red 
248 


HELEN ORMESBY 


head of his a mile off, an’ when you do come up with him, 
he’s walkin’ innocentlike, as if he hadn’t a thought be- 
yond his Sunday-school lesson.” 

“ Maybe I’ll meet him sometime — I’d like to,” said 
Helen. 

“ I’m not wishin’ you that bad luck, Miss Helen, but 
if you do, take Dorcas along. She’s acquainted with Jim- 
my’s shins. He was meddlin’ with her family last fall, 
and he got more than he bargained for,” said Jerry 
chuckling. 

“Why don’t you have him arrested?” put in Miss 
Henrietta. 

“ It ain’t like it is in the city, ma’am ; them as would 
spank Jimmy with all the pleasure in life, wouldn’t call 
in the police, an’ they’d turn on them as did. It’ll have 
to be the trap, I’m thinkin’.” 

“ I trust not,” said Miss Darcy, “ or I should have to 
report you to the police. Drive on, Helen,” and as they 
wound slowly among the blossoming apple-trees that 
guarded the orchard, she added, in her severest tone: 
“ Your mother and father, between them, have ruined a 
good servant. Jerry is allowed too much license; he 
doesn’t know his place.” 

Helen let the reins fall loosely and gave the horse 
her head. “ Aunt Henrietta,” she said quietly but firmly, 
“ I took you this morning upon what I thought would 
be a pleasant expedition, and stood by, while you found 
fault with my friends, but when it comes to criticising 
my father and mother, I’m afraid we shall quarrel. As 
for Jerry, he is too faithful and too devoted to our inter- 
ests to be spoiled by any amount of indulgence; we try 
to be kind to all of our servants.” 

“ Kind ! ” cried the old lady, now thoroughly roused. 
“ Why, you put yourselves on a level with them, by do- 
249 


HELEN ORMESBY 


ing their work, actually receiving instructions from them, 
as if you were going out to service to-morrow.” 

“ That was exactly our idea,” said Helen. “ We came 
from College a lot of unfledged, inexperienced girls, and 
we’re learning to be useful as well as ornamental ; we’re 
learning to put ourselves in our servants’ places, so that 
one of these days, when we have homes and servants of 
our own, we shall never exact from them any service we 
would hesitate to do ourselves. You may consider that 
demeaning — ” 

“ I certainly do ; I could point out much — ” 

“ Don’t,” said Helen, “ it would be mere waste of 
breath, and if you would take my advice, Auntie, being 
a minority of one, you would keep your private opin- 
ion concerning the ‘ Seven ’ strictly private, for two rea- 
sons ; one is, we are all very popular, and the other, you 
may change your point of view some day, and live to eat 
your words. Now, let’s go home and eat something 
else,” she added as they struck the highway, and the old 
horse pricked up her ears. 

There were two miles of straight driving, and it was 
along this road that Helen half-expected to see the shock 
red head of Jimmy Doyle looming up at any moment, 
for his mother’s unpretentious, whitewashed cottage 
stood in a shady cross-way, not far off. She was not 
mistaken; at the first bend of the road she discovered 
him sitting on a fallen log, whittling a long piece of wood 
for dear life, and whistling a blithe accompaniment. 
Jerry’s description was too graphic to avoid recognizing 
the arch-culprit. Miss Henrietta straightened up and 
grasped Helen’s arm. 

“ There’s that boy,” she whispered. 

Helen nodded and slowed up as the bent head was 
lifted at the sound of the crunching wheels; she saw a 
250 


HELEN ORMESBY 


freckled face with keen, good-humored blue eyes, and a 
mouth that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. She 
beckoned, and he came forward, grinning sheepishly. 

“Can you tell me where Mrs. Doyle lives ?” she 
asked, smiling upon the lanky youth, who stood bash- 
fully twisting his cap. 

“ That’s her place,” he said, pointing with a smudgy 
forefinger to where the cottage nestled behind a clump 
of trees. “ I guess she’s ter hum.” 

“ Thank you, I just want to speak to her,” and Helen 
drove on, well aware that Master Jimmy had doubled 
his tracks and would probably be hiding within earshot 
when she spoke to his mother. 

Mrs. Doyle was at her door as Helen turned in at 
her gate. “ I seen you cornin’ up the road, Miss, an’ 
I thought mebbe you an’ the lady would step out 
awhile.” 

“ No, not just now,” said Helen; “we’re in a hurry 
to get home. I am Miss Ormesby, of the Farm. You 
are Mrs. Doyle, aren’t you?” 

“ Yes, ma’am, is anything wrong? ” The poor woman 
looked thin and worried, and there was a restless, hunted 
look in her eyes. “Is it Jimmy again, ma’am? I’ve 
been afeard he’s been up to somethin’ — he’s been so 
quiet.” 

“ If Jimmy is your son,” said Helen innocently, “ he’s 
the very person I’d like to know. Our coachman tells 
me he’s quite a leader among the country boys around 
here, and I’d like to get his help; perhaps, if he isn’t 
at home, you’ll ask him to call at the Farm to-morrow.” 

“ Yes, ma’am,” began Mrs. Doyle, but the red head 
of her son suddenly bobbed into view from the rear of 
the cottage. 

“ I beat you here, walkin’,” he said ; “ that old hoss 
17 251 


HELEN ORMESBY 


ain’t no good. I didn’t know ’twas me you wanted. You 
asked fur Ma.” 

“ I thought perhaps you were at school.” 

Jimmy grinned. “ I was, this mornin’, but it got 
too warm, so I scooted. I can learn better outside, I 
guess.” 

“Jimmy,” said Helen, bending over confidentially, 
in spite of warning punches from Miss Henrietta, “ I’m 
hunting for just such a boy as you are — would you like 
to work for me? I’ll pay you good wages.” 

Jimmy looked her up and down, and his keen blue 
eyes studied her brown ones. “ What are you givin’ 
me ? ” he asked sarcastically. 

“You mean how much money? I don’t know yet, I 
must find out what you are worth.” That was not, of 
course, what Jimmy meant, but he let it go at that. 

“ What do you want me to do ? ” he asked. 

“ It’s just this,* said Helen, “ and you’re the only 
person who can really help me. I am Miss Ormesby; 
you know where our orchard is, don’t you ? ” 

“ I guess so,” he answered shortly, and again the blue 
eyes flashed defiance into the brown ones. 

“ Well, Jerry, our man, tells me that every year, just 
at the very worst time, the trees have been robbed, and I 
cannot help thinking that in summer, with a lot of idle 
boys around, the fruit doesn’t have half a chance. I 
have heard that you are a great leader out here,” Helen 
smiled insinuatingly. 

“ ‘ The girl guessed right the very first time,’ ” said 
modest Jimmy. 

“ And I thought if you’d take the job of guarding the 
orchard and keeping off the thieves, we’d have a crop 
of cherries and apples and pears, and even peaches later 
on, that would be the talk of the country.” 

252 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ You sure would,” he echoed, his grin spreading over 
the irony of it. 

“ And if,” pursued Helen, “ you could get several of 
your particular friends to join with you, you could form 
a regular patrol, and I’d supply you with caps and 
badges.” 

“ Humph ! ” grunted Jimmy. 

“If you belonged to the Ormesby Guard, for in- 
stance, there’s no end to the fun you could have, and 
you could have all the fruit you wanted later on. Think 
it over, and let me know. I’ll get one of my friends to 
design the badge, and I’ll buy the caps in New York. 
Good-by, let me hear soon,” and Helen left the gaping 
and astonished Jimmy staring after her, in the middle of 
the road. 

“ I wish you could have seen his face, Mummie,” she 
laughed, when she described the scene. “ It was a study 
in freckles, believe me; we’ve saved the fruit this sea- 
son. Aunt Henrietta, Jerry won’t need a trap — Jimmy’s 
nose is safe.” 

And she was not mistaken ; two days later, a deputa- 
tion, headed by Jimmy, interviewed the “ Seven.” The 
place of meeting was the orchard, and John had laid a 
tempting tea-table in the shade of a gnarled old apple- 
tree. The afternoon was balmy and springlike, and the 
girls made a charming picture as they sat around on the 
camp-stools they had brought out for the occasion. It 
was an imposing array, and the three country lads looked 
very sheepish as they approached the conference from 
the back lot; even Jimmy, the Audacious, was too daz- 
zled for a moment to speak. He took a hurried survey 
of the fascinating group, including the tea-table with 
its tempting cakes and a large glass pitcher of lemonade. 

“ We’re here about them badges,” he said briefly and 

253 


HELEN ORMESBY 


to the point, his bold eye singling out Helen from the 
others. 

“Then you’ve decided to take the job?” she asked. 

“ You bet ! How about them caps? ” 

“You shall have them.” 

'“ And these fellows wants stripes on their pants like 
the real cops.” 

Helen turned to her mates. She was quite sober, but 
laughter hid in her eyes. 

“ That wasn’t stipulated in the bond,” she said. “ Do 
you think we could let them have stripes ? ” 

Ruth looked sternly over her glasses at the deputa- 
tion, which stood first on the right foot then on the left. 

“ The policemen have stripes as rewards for bravery. 
The Ormesby Guard will have to work for those.” 

“ Them sort of stripes comes on their sleeves and 
their collars and their shoulders, Miss,” said Jimmy; 
“ on pants there ain’t nothin’ to it but style.” 

A suppressed titter came from the twins, but the 
Chief glared at them warningly. 

“ Well,” she said, “ I think we might promise the 
stripes, but what are you going to promise on your 
side ? ” 

“To see your fruit ain’t swiped, an’ to nab them as 
tries to. There’s a lot of rough kids around these parts — 
maybe we three could tame ’em an’ make ’em join the 
Guards. You could get up a dandy company,” and the 
new play seemed to take hold of the irrepressible Jimmy. 

“ That’s not a bad idea,” said Sylvia, whose two 
brothers belonged to a crack regiment ; “ then you can 
have drills, you know. It’s lots of fun.” 

“An’ mebbe guns,” said Jimmy. 

“ Never ! ” said Helen firmly, “ the most I’ll allow 
254 


HELEN ORMESBY 


will be whistles. In a week your outfit will be ready. 
Here is a picture of the silver badges I’m going to have 
made,” and she unfolded Sylvia’s clever little sketch of 
an apple-tree, surrounded and guarded by a band of the 
faithful. 

“ Boys, are you thirsty ? ” asked Edith, flitting like a 
blue-robed angel toward the pitcher of lemonade. 

An eloquent gurgle answered her, and ten minutes 
later, when the nucleus of the Ormesby Guard took its 
leave, they had left nothing behind them in the way of 
refreshments but the empty glasses, the pitcher, and three 
plates. 

Before the week had expired the Ormesby Guard had 
increased to a round dozen, and Helen was the recipient 
of many funny little notes from the neighboring farmers, 
who were quick to appreciate the humor of the situation. 

“ There comes a time,” one of them wrote, “ when 
spankin’ can’t touch a tough hide — that’s the time for 
cakes an’ lemonade. Thank you, ma’am ; we farmers feel 
like sendin’ a lovin’-cup to Ormesby Farm.” 

So the “ Seven,” with free minds, could contemplate 
a luscious fruit crop, and presently the countryside was 
pervaded by the Ormesby Guard, resplendant with 
“ stripes ” and white caps and silver badges, while the 
days lengthened into the promise of summer, and the 
unmolested cherries — the first among the newcomers — 
hung ripe upon the trees. 

Life, indeed, fairly hummed upon the big estate. 
The warmer days brought early rising, and many a fair 
morning saw them all abroad, long before breakfast. 
Lizzie was through with her milking by six o’clock, and 
by half-past six she was surrounded by a merry group, 
demanding their early glass of milk. By seven Ann’s 
255 


HELEN ORMESBY 


assistant was on her way to the kitchen, but the others 
stayed in the open, for the outside work was daily de- 
manding more time and attention. 

“ There’s no use talkin’, Miss Helen ! ” declared Jerry. 
“ Mr. Fred needs help — he can’t do this job by himself 
any more, an’ besides, your wagon ain’t big enough for 
all the extras you’re puttin’ on the market; you need 
another for the butter an’ the eggs an’ the milk an’ 
cream, to say nothin’ of the flowers.” 

“ I know,” said Helen, “ the wagon is an easy propo- 
sition. To find a reliable man is the question, and a hard 
one, too.” 

But it was answered in an unexpected way by a let- 
ter from Hugh. 

Dear Little Mum : 

I wonder if you could be bothered with a boarder 
this summer? The ship’s surgeon says I’ve got malaria 
in my system — whatever that may be — and I must clear 
out of South American waters, so I’m ordered home on 
sick leave until the ship strikes the Atlantic again. Don’t 
be worried. I’m not even emaciated, so don’t open your 
fountains of pity. If it wasn’t for feverish nights occa- 
sionally, and a queer, light feeling in my head some- 
times, you couldn’t tell me from the same old Hugh. 
Wire if there’s room for me. 

This note was read with varying emotions. Mrs. 
Ormesby was anxious and wired at once; the girls were 
full of expectancy ; a man once more among them would 
give zest to the whole day’s work. Josephine looked 
radiant; even Miss Henrietta brightened visibly, for 
Hugh was a great favorite with her, while Helen sud- 
denly exclaimed with rapture: 

“ Allah be praised ! the good, reliable man to help 
Fred has been found at last — even my own and only 
brother! He can’t come home too soon.” 

256 


CHAPTER XV 


W HO is going to the station with me ? ” asked 
Helen, pausing in the doorway. The girls were 
all assembled in Josephine's and Alice's room, 
and were lounging luxuriously, for the day's labors were 
over, and the heat had touched even the hilltop. 

“ How nice you look ! " said Ruth ; “ that white em- 
broidered linen’s a success, Helen.” 

“ Isn’t it? I'm rather proud of it myself. Why don't 
some of you dress and come along? ” 

“ Too lazy,” said Sylvia, yawning over her book; “ I 
fain would sleep. Playing ‘ early bird ’ on summer morn- 
ing brings on a severe attack of drowsiness just at this 
hour.” 

“ My dear girl, this is Thursday, and the accounts 
must be made up by Saturday, you know,” said Jo- 
sephine from her desk, where she was bending over a 
pile of papers. 

“ And she must practice at six sharp ; that’s the time 
the teamsters get homeland music is a wonderful cure 
for malaria. I have it on the very best authority,” said 
Ruth wickedly. “ Don’t look at me in that imploring 
way. I wouldn’t exchange the present comfort of this 
voluminous kimona for the handsomest gown in my 
wardrobe — go thy ways — go thy ways.” 

“ How about you, Edith ? ” 

“ I promised Miss Henrietta to read her a story; she 
depends upon it for her afternoon nap. We’ve been on 
257 


HELEN ORMESBY 


one everlasting tale for a week ; she ‘ falls off ’ in exactly 
the same place each day, and I have to begin it over the 
next.” 

“ And we must write our weekly letter home,” said 
Alice with decision. 

“ But Mr. Trent will think it so strange,” persisted 
Helen. 

“ Surely you have tact enough to explain our delin- 
quencies,” laughed Ruth, “that is, if they are ques- 
tioned. I’d like to wager, that to a tired young man 
just released from the thralldom of College routine, the 
sight of our beloved Chief, in that bewitching hat and 
gown, to say nothing of the shoes and the sunshade, will 
be enough to drive away even polite inquiries about the 
rest of us.” 

A faint pink stole through the tan of Helen’s cheeks. 
She gave a quick glance around the room. “ And so 
you’ll all- desert me ? ” she asked. 

“ Don’t call it desertion,” begged Sylvia, “ that’s such 
a hard, cold word.” 

“ And if you’re really lonely, take the Prince for es- 
cort,” suggested Josephine. “You’ll find him enjoying 
his siesta on our veranda; he prefers it to Lizzie’s hum- 
ble little porch.” 

Helen shrugged her shoulders helplessly, and half 
wished she had ordered the phaeton; but there was no 
time to lose if she wished to meet the five-thirty train, 
so she made a dignified retreat, stopping on her way 
downstairs for a peep into her mother’s room. 

“ Not a soul would come with me, Mummie; they’re 
in all stages of laziness upstairs. I shall have to take 
the Prince in self-defence.” 

“ And put this letter in the mail-bag on your way 
downstairs,” said her mother, sealing and stamping it as 
258 


HELEN ORMESBY 


she spoke, and handing Helen her weekly budget to her 
husband. “ I’m getting tired of this sort of thing,” she 
added ; “ we’ve never been separated in all our married 
life before.” 

“ And if it hadn’t been for our troublesome 4 Seven ’ 
you’d have crossed with him — now, wouldn’t you ? Poor 
little Mummie! Never mind, you’re serving your coun- 
try, anyway; that should comfort you, and Hugh is 
home — and — and — ” 

“ And I have my girl,” smiled Mrs. Ormesby, though 
her eyes were misty. “ Now, run along, we mustn’t 
let our guest arrive without a word of welcome.” 

“ It was good of you to ask him here, Mummie, he’s 
so lonely, poor fellow.” 

“ Yes, he is lonely, and as we had taken Rita, it 
seemed unkind to shut him out — I like him, too,” said 
Mrs. Ormesby heartily. “ Go on, dear, you really will 
be late, I’m afraid.” 

Helen called the Prince as she ran blithely down the 
steps. He wagged his tail and opened his sleepy eyes; 
like Sylvia, the summer languor was upon him and he 
fain would sleep, but Helen was peremptory; in vain 
he tried to be polite and acknowledge her presence; she 
persistently demanded his company — well, if it must be, 
it must. He dragged himself off of the veranda and 
crawled down the steps just half awake, but by the 
time he had touched the gravel walk his puppy mind 
pushed forward to a frolic, and he scampered ahead, 
looking back once in awhile to make sure that Helen 
was following. 

For a moment Philip Trent stood alone on the tiny 
porch of the little station, a faint chill of disappoint- 
ment creeping over him. He had never been to the 
Farm before, but somehow in picturing his arrival there 
259 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Helen’s girlish figure and her smile of welcome had al- 
ways occupied the foreground on his mental canvas. 
But even as the shadow crossed his face, as his eye 
swept the wide horizon of blue sky and green woods, he 
saw coming toward him, like a nymph from the heart 
of the forest, Helen in the flesh, sweet and wholesome, 
atune to the wholesome world about her. With a glad 
light in his eyes he caught up his suit-case and ran like 
a boy across the verdant fields to meet her half way. 

“ I feel as if I had been traveling on the famous 
4 Road of Anthracite ’ and was meeting ‘ Miss Phoebe 
Snow ’ for the first time,” he said as he shook hands and 
looked admiringly at the dainty white figure. 

“ It is sheer force of will that has kept me spot- 
less,” said Helen laughing and pointing to her wriggling 
escort. “ The Prince has been caricoling around me in 
a perfect ecstacy of admiration. I had to find a stick 
for him to carry, or I don’t know where his affection 
would have landed him.” 

“ And 1 have my suit-case to carry,” said Philip 
gravely, whereat they both laughed, though Helen 
flushed to the little curls on her forehead. 

“ Now, tell me about yourself — all the history of the 
past three months,” she began again. 

“ The regular humdrum history begins and ends 
here — for me.” They were entering the cool, green 
shade of the woods as he spoke, though he was not 
looking at the beautiful wilderness about him, but into 
the soft brown eyes of the girl beside him. She grew a 
little restive under his gaze, so she dropped her own to 
the velvet turf at her feet. “If you could only know 
how I have hungered for a sight of — of — this lovely 
place,” he finished valiantly. “ It was good of your 
mother to ask me down.” 


260 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ It wasn’t all goodness — we wanted you ; we’ve all 
been working hard, you know.” 

“Yes, Rita kept me posted; the faithful child never 
missed a week, and one or two rare notes from head- 
quarters gave me some idea,” he said smiling. 

“ Those scrawls of mine couldn’t tell much,” apol- 
ogized Helen. “ I’m afraid,” truthfully, “ they were 
written as bait, with which to catch an answer. I sup- 
pose you have said 4 good-by ’ to the College ? ” 

“Yes, it was a wrench, but it had to come; it’s not 
the life I’m cut out for, though coming to me as it did 
— during a stressful time — I grew to look upon it as a 
sort of anchor. Now that I’ve cut the cables and find 
myself in the open sea, I don’t quite know what course 
to take. Time will determine that, or inclination, or 
more cogent than either — necessity. I have no intention 
of being a poor man if I can help myself.” 

“ There are worse things than poverty,” began Helen. 

“Oh, I know all that can be said about the great 
army of deserving poor,” he answered laughing. “ I’m 
a private in the ranks myself, but I’m going to climb. 
There’s a treasure I covet, and it is quite beyond my 
grasp; if I can find a ladder tall enough to reach it in 
the end, I don’t care if I begin at the lowest rung. Now 
you know that Napoleon wasn’t ‘ in it ’ when it comes 
to ambition, but I must go out in the world to conquer. 
I’ve felt that for a long time. I want to breathe while 
I work.” 

“ I know what you mean,” cried Helen, her enthu- 
siasm kindled by his words. “ There are different kinds 
of worlds for different kinds of men, I suppose.” 

“ Of course, otherwise all ambitions would have to 
crowd on the same train, which would be inconvenient 
for the hustlers,” he answered, following her lead and 
261 


HELEN ORMESBY 


slipping into generalities. “ Now, tell me about the Ex- 
periment— and all the others,” he added perfunctorily. 

Helen smiled, remembering Ruth’s prophecy. “ The 
‘ Seven ’ have surpassed themselves,” she said, “ and our 
undertaking is no longer an experiment, it’s a very self- 
evident and successful fact. Even Aunt Henrietta is 
beginning to have some respect for it. Ah — I forgot, 
you don’t know Aunt Henrietta, but you shall, if you 
are good. She came as soon as we migrated here this 
spring, to pay her annual visit; she usually stays a 
month, and it was a lively month, you may believe, for 
Aunt Henrietta is given to speaking her mind. Did you 
ever have a maiden aunt ? ” 

“No, but I’ve seen other people’s; I know about 
them.” 

“ But you don’t know Aunt Henrietta ; speaking her 
mind meant saying flatly all the disagreeable things she 
could think of; we never knew what to expect next — 
we ‘ Seven,’ and yet there was something about the 
lonely old lady that was very appealing. The girls 
laughed at her sometimes, but in spite of it they felt as 
I did when they saw her packing up, preparatory to 
going back to the hot, dusty city and her little hall-room 
in the boarding-house, where she would stay for the rest 
of the summer. So we all met in secret session one 
night, and drew up a petition begging her to make the 
Farm her headquarters as long as she cared to stay. 
Well, you should have seen her face when Ruth pre- 
sented it at the breakfast-table the next morning; she 
was completely taken by surprise. Poor Auntie! Very 
few people like her enough to invite her to visit them, 
much less to ask her to come again or to stay longer, and 
since then she’s been angelic, for of course she stayed, 
and even she and Ruth can come together now without 
262 


HELEN ORMESBY 


a clap of thunder. Fred Gayle and his two youngsters 
are at the cottage close by, where they were last sum- 
mer. Rita we’.ve tucked away among us in a cunning 
little cubby-hole just off of my room, and you’re to share 
Hugh’s — if you don’t mind. His coming was unexpected 
or you would have been more comfortable.” 

“ My only fear is that I am crowding you too much, 
and inconveniencing your brother,” said Philip quickly. 

Helen laughed. “ Hugh is so accustomed to the in- 
convenience of a sailor’s bunk, that an extra bed in the 
room will make no impression upon him.” 

“And your father — when will he return?” 

“ Soon, we’re hoping ; he writes very little about his 
mission, but he sounds cheerful, so we’re trusting in the 
Ormesby luck, as our precious garnet is still in our pos- 
session. There! we are coming to a clearing and you 
can get your first view of the house. It’s a quaint old 
home, and some of the timber in the lower story has un- 
doubtedly seen Revolutionary days. The grounds slope 
away from it in the back, you see, down to the water’s 
edge; we only get a piece of our river here, but it’s a 
pretty bit, and navigable for a couple of miles at least. 
We have great sport on it winter and summer. If it 
hadn’t been for my ridiculous ankle, we might have 
skated over it last season.” 

“How about boating?” inquired Philip. 

“ Ideal ; some of us are always to be found there 
after duty hours, and we can serve you up the most 
glorious of sunsets reflected on the bosom of the waters. 
Whenever you feel bored, you can escape by the back 
way to the boathouse, where you’ll be sure to find one of 
our three boats or the canoe. Fred used to practice 
out there when he was on the Columbia crew ; the chil- 
dren and the Prince almost reside in a boat, his Royal 
263 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Highness takes his daily bath in the river, and Will and 
Kitty are learning to swim like ducks. ,, 

“ You have all the allurements of fairyland about 
here,” said Philip, “ no wonder you love it.” 

“ I always call the Farm Daddy’s favorite child. 
Look on the veranda — the reception committee has 
turned out in full force. I hope you’re not very bashful, 
but it can’t be helped for once.” 

“ If I’m sure of your sympathy and support I can 
survive it,” he said, half in jest; but there was no need 
for embarrassment. Mrs. Ormesby’s gentle kindliness 
and Hugh’s hearty handshake put him quite at ease, 
Rita crept up to him, her welcome shining through her 
tears, and Philip put a brotherly arm about the slight 
figure, while, he turned and greeted the others. Next 
he was wafted to the corner of the veranda and pre- 
sented to Miss Henrietta with much ceremony, and 
then Hugh took his suit-case and piloted him to the 
pleasant room which they were to share, talking volubly 
the while. 

“ I hope you’ve brought overalls,” he said. “ On this 
place ‘ everybody works but Mother.’ I was sent home, 
a yellow-faced specimen of South American malaria, 
and my little sister bought me a toy delivery wagon, de- 
voted to butter and milk and eggs and chickens, and 
I’m the deliverer — so to speak. It’s a nobby little af- 
fair — that wagon, and I drive a fast horse, so there’s 
some compensation. As a reward of virtue, the great 
ones allow you to help them occasionally in their vari- 
ous branches. You can feed chickens, or stand on your 
head and hunt eggs; you can skim milk or churn but- 
ter; you can even cut flowers for the general welfare; 
but if you are to be under Helen’s chaperonage, you’ll 
really need overalls; she’s a great one for digging and 
264 


HELEN ORMESBY 


burrowing about her vegetables and fruits; she’s up with 
the proverbial lark, and — so are the others. If it wasn’t 
for a glorious dip in the river each morning, I’d let them 
whistle for me at that hour. Occasionally I can tempt 
one of them for a row before breakfast — then life’s 
worth living,” and Hugh smiled as one or two delicious 
memories came to him. 

Indeed, life was well worth living at the Farm. The 
closer these busy girls got to Nature, the more they felt 
this. Philip Trent felt it, too, before he had been with 
them a week. There were long busy mornings out-of- 
doors; there was a drowsy hum of the afternoon, when 
the “ Seven ” hid themselves from view, and the three 
young men turned toward the river for a vigorous pull 
up stream, and perhaps a bit of fishing in some quiet pool, 
or smoking and dreaming under the trees. 

When the teamsters were on duty, twice a week, 
Philip took Will and the Prince for company. It was 
on one of these occasions that the afternoon stillness 
was broken by the shrill whistle of Jimmy Doyle’s pa- 
trol. The first roused Helen from the land of dreams 
into which she was fast sinking; then the sounds came 
from every quarter, and Helen, stepping out upon the tiny 
balcony outside of her window, saw the Ormesby Guard 
gathering from every direction, the silver badges on their 
white caps gleaming and flashing in the sunlight. 

The girls came crowding into her room in various 
stages of dishevelment and bewilderment. 

“ What is it — and where ? ” asked Sylvia, excitedly 
stepping out on the balcony beside Helen. 

“ That first whistle was like the shot heard round 
the world,” said Ruth, rubbing her eyes. “ What’s up, 
I wonder ? ” 

“ Some trouble in the orchard, I’m afraid,” answered 
265 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Helen, turning back into her room and beginning to make 
a hasty toilet. “ I’m going to see.” 

“ So shall I,” declared Ruth ; “ wait for me, Helen. 
I won’t be long, I must witness the honorable Jim’s 
first capture,” and five minutes later the two girls, bare- 
headed, but shaded by the umbrella that Helen had 
picked up, were hurrying across the wide expanse of 
lawn in the direction of the orchard, whence came the 
sound of loud and angry voices in every note of the 
boys’ strident range, occasionally interlarded by a bark — 
a most familiar bark — and a thin, piping, excited treble, 
that Ruth recognized at once. 

“ That’s Kitty’s voice, and she sounds as mad as a 
hatter; the plot thickens — I bet Will’s in trouble.” 

“ He certainly can’t be far away, with the Prince 
on the spot; the two went off with Mr. Trent right after 
luncheon,” said Helen, as they turned an angle which 
brought the orchard into view. Here they encountered 
the most amazing and amusing picture. 

Around the trunk of a large and spreading apple- 
tree, whose boughs were almost bent under the weight 
of the half-ripe fruit upon them, were clustered half-a- 
dozen of the Ormesby Guard, headed by Jimmy himself. 
On one side stood Kitty, her cheeks scarlet, her blue 
eyes ablaze with anger, while every stamp of her foot 
was a signal for the Prince to bark his loudest, and 
make little vicious snaps at sundry convenient shins. 
Seated comfortably on a cradlelike bough near the top 
of the tree, like the famous “ rock-a-bye baby ” in the 
lullaby, was Will, calmly munching apples to his heart’s 
content, and throwing the hard cores, with deadly aim, 
upon the heads of his captors. He was the first to catch 
sight of the advancing rescue party, and he made a 
megaphone of his two hands. 

266 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ If you don’t hurry up,” he called, “ poor Kit will 
have apoplexy and the Prince will go into spasms.” 

The skirmishing party at the foot of the tree wheeled 
round, just as Helen and Ruth, quite breathless, arrived 
upon the scene. The Guard, mindful of etiquette, stood 
at attention and saluted. Kitty flew to them, letting 
loose her whole vocabulary in excited explanation that 
explained nothing. 

Jimmy stepped forward, cap in hand. “ I’m doin’ 
me duty, Miss, me an’ the boys; we’ve been watchin’ 
the orchard pretty faithful, an’ when I seen that chap 
up there, sneakin’ around with the pup at his heels, sez 
I to meself, ‘there’s mischief,’ an’ I blowed my whis- 
tle. Before I’d blowed it three times he was clean up 
to the top of the tree, showin’ he was used to the job, 
an’ when the kids came a-troopin’ up, there he was — 
as smilin’ as a basket of chips — swipin’ an’ eatin’ fur 
dear life, an’ he just kep’ on, too — by ginger ! ” 

“ Did you think I was coming down to be grabbed 
and handcuffed and carted to the stable?” roared Will 
from above. “ Not on your life! and I won’t stir a peg 
now, until the coast’s clear. I’m having a very pleas- 
ant time; I may as well stay where I am. Have an ap- 
ple ? ” he called, catching Ruth’s eye and making a feint 
of throwing one. 

“ Stand aside, boys,” said Helen to the Guard. 
“ Come down, Will, we must thresh this out.” 

“ Flag of truce — and no treason ? ” questioned the 
cautious captive. “ I’m not to be nabbed the minute I 
reach the bottom?” 

“ There’ll be a trial by jury,” said Helen firmly. 
“Jimmy and his company were only doing their duty. 
If you can give satisfactory answers, you can go free, 
if not—” 

18 267 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Well? ” 

“You’ll have to pay a fine, that’s all; as it’s the first 
offence you wouldn’t have to go to prison, but I thought 
you knew that orders were not to climb the trees.” 

“ Yes, I knew, and I didn’t intend to — wait, I’ll 
come down and tell you.” 

There was a scramble among the branches, and sev- 
eral beautiful apples fell to the ground. The Guard — to 
a man — made a sudden involuntary motion to pick them 
up, but duty conquered, and they stood erect and virtu- 
ous. Helen laughed. 

“ They were blown down to you, boys, you may as 
well have them,” and they needed no second bidding. 
They were standing at rest, enjoying the delight of the 
first luscious mouthful, when Will slid down the trunk 
of the tree with the ease of a monkey. Kitty uttered an 
ecstatic shriek and hung about his neck. 

“ The gallant Duke removed the clinging arms, and 
looked long into the lovely face of the Lady Katharine,” 
spouted the irrepressible Will, suiting the action to the 
word. “ She’s been reading Sir Walter Scott,” he ex- 
plained; “it’s bad for her in the summer.” 

Helen gulped down an overwhelming desire to laugh. 
Kitty was so dramatic that Will was apt at times to be 
convulsing. 

“ Well,” she said, in her severest tone, “ I’m waiting 
for the explanation.” 

“ You see, Mr. Trent and I were down in the little 
summer house by the river, and he asked me if I’d 
mind coming back for a certain book he’d forgotten to 
bring along. The Prince and I took a short cut through 
the orchard, intending to see if there were any apples 
on the ground, and the moment that fellow spied me he 
blew his whistle; he didn’t ask me a single question, 
26.8 


HELEN ORMESBY 


but just kept blowing and blowing, and when I saw all 
those kids running at me like a set of wild bulls, and I 
heard that Jimmy Doyle say ‘Here’s some one tryin’ to 
steal apples,’ well — I just scooted up to my old perch 
where Kit and I used to come last summer, and as long 
as they had me treed I thought I might as well enjoy 
the apples; they’re riper up top, you know, the sun gets 
a whack at them.” 

“ But you knew climbing was forbidden,” persisted 
Helen. 

“ Of course, I’m willing to pay any fine that’s rea- 
sonable, but you didn’t expect me to fight six boys ‘ter 
oncet,’ as Ann says. I could have downed any one of 
’em easy, but I wasn’t such a fool as to go it single- 
handed like the brave St. George or Sir What’s-his- 
name, that Kitty reads about. No, sir; so up I got, and 
that’s the story. What’s to pay?” and Will osten- 
taciously jingled some coins in his trousers’ pockets. 

“ Which would you rather do — work out your fine 
with me, or pay over to my faithful Guards whatever 
you have in your pockets?” asked Helen. 

“ Pay, every time. I’m on my vacation now,” said 
Will, promptly pulling out the coins. “ Gosh ! I’m sorry 
I didn’t buy those films yesterday; next pay day isn’t 
till Saturday. Here, fellows, catch! there’s a quarter 
apiece, even. The fair Katharine must support the noble 
Duke meanwhile. Come along, Prince, we’ll get that 
book now,” and Will departed. The Guards melted 
away, Kitty went back to her story-book on Lizzie’s lit- 
tle porch, and Helen and Ruth sat down on the deserted 
battlefield and had their laugh out. 

“ If Kitty didn’t adore Will so openly, and boxed his 
ears occasionally, it would do him good,” said Ruth, 
wiping her eyes. “ That’s what I call a thrilling scene, 
269 


HELEN ORMESBY 


even though a whole hour has been taken from the 
greatest novel of the age.” 

“ Are you really writing it?” asked Helen curiously, 
as they sauntered slowly back to the house. 

“ Wait and see. Didn’t I promise you that in five 
years’ time it should be presented on a silver salver to 
the College library ? ” 

“ Five years ! when you think what we are crowding 
into one, there’s simply no calculating,” said Helen. 
“ I’m quite happy in the present, aren’t you ? ” 

“For the present, yes; but I’ve a restless ambition, 
and by the way, when are we to take that long-talked-of 
horseback ride? I’ve promised Fred that he might try 
one of the broncos, and I’m counting on you and Mr. 
Trent to join us. I wouldn’t care to trust my frisky 
pets with more than four in party.” 

“ I’m aching for a ride, but I hate to be selfish about 
it,” began Helen. 

“ Good old Chief. Now, see here, somebody has to 
start the ball rolling, and there are not horses enough 
for everybody at one time. Nobody can manage the 
broncos unless I’m along, and you’ve promised Mr. 
Trent a ride. I’m sure he doesn’t want a substitute as 
his companion. The early morning is a glorious time; 
suppose we go to-morrow just before sunrise? ” 

" I’ll talk it over with Mummie, and if she thinks it 
all right, I’ll tell Jerry to have the horses ready. Which 
horse is Fred to ride? ” 

“ Danny. John’s been trying both of them with a 
new saddle all this month, and they’re pretty well broken. 
I shall ride Brownie, as usual.” 

“ I think we’ll take the blacks, they’re splendid sad- 
dle horses,” said Helen. “ Oh, dear, I wish I hadn’t a 
conscience ! ” . 


270 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ It’s certainly too big for your size/ 5 said Ruth. 
“Josephine doesn’t ask you to go boating with her in 
the early morning, does she? and she’s never alone. The 
twins would thank you for nothing for rousing them in 
the early dawn, and I have inside information that 
Sylvia and Edith are going to take their first private 
milking lesson from Lizzie at dawn to-morrow. Fred 
let me into the secret ; he thought — all things considered 
— that to-morrow would be the day of days.” 

“ So Fred’s at the bottom of it,” laughed Helen. 

“ He’s plagued the life out of me ever since the 
ponies came. Talk of boys — he’s the smallest on the 
Farm; I told him to wait until after Commencement 
time, I wanted him to graduate properly, before he broke 
his head.” 

“ Why, you don’t think there’s danger, do you ? ” 
asked Helen anxiously. 

“ Not when he gets the whip hand, but there’s always 
a risk on first acquaintance, and Danny must know his 
master. Now, here we are at the house; tell your 
mother about it as soon as you can ; not a soul must 
know, as Fred is stealing away from the Kiddies, and 
do put it through if you can.” 

Mrs. Ormesby, who had been a daring horsewoman 
in her day, fell in at once with the plan. 

“ I wish I were going with you,” she said, “ but years 
ago your father made me promise never to ride unless 
he was in the party, for I own I was reckless on one or 
two occasions, but I think, with Fred and Philip, you 
girls are safe.” 

Helen looked up quickly ; it was seldom that her for- 
mal mother discarded the ceremonious title. Mrs. 
Ormesby caught the look and laughed somewhat bash- 
fully. “ You sharp child ! I had to begin some time, 
271 


HELEN ORMESBY 


since he asked me so pathetically ; I can’t help mothering 
him a bit — poor boy! His sorrow struck deep; it is 
terrible to be an only child. I’m glad you quelled the 
riot in the orchard, I thought Bedlam had broken loose.” 

“ It had,” said Helen, “ and poor Will is a pauper in 
consequence, but it serves him right. Then we may go 
in the morning? Thank you, Mummie, you’re a per- 
fect dear,” and Helen embraced her mother so fervently 
that Mrs. Ormesby smiled and wondered why. 

The next morning was cool and promising. The 
four conspirators met as quietly and as secretly as they 
could, and just as the colors of the new day began to 
tint the sky they were mounted and off, Helen and 
Philip leading the way, for the blacks were beautiful, 
fleet animals, with racing blood in their veins, keen and 
quick to answer the touch of whip or rein. 

Fred vaulted into the light saddle, which was all that 
Danny would submit to. The sagacious little beast looked 
round, sensitive to the difference in weight on top of 
him, for Fred was much heavier than John. This pro- 
voked him and he shook his head angrily once or twice, 
but Ruth patted him and talked to him as she brought 
Brownie alongside. 

She would not have owned it to any one, but she was 
just a bit nervous, for Fred, though an excellent rider, 
knew little of the prairie horses and their ways. She 
said nothing to the others, but she had her neatly coiled 
lariat safe and ready for use, and her watchful eye was 
scarcely away for a moment from Danny and his rider. 

Fred was in high spirits; permission to ride Danny 
had been a hard-wrung victory, and there was much to 
talk over besides, for Ruth took a keen interest in his 
work. His College career had closed with a pleasant 
surprise, he had won a much-coveted scholarship, and 
272 


HELEN ORMESBY 


a leading city newspaper was willing to start him along; 
the path of journalism, his chosen profession. 

“ So you see, I can put theory into practice as I 
trudge from Columbia down to my office job, and I 
won’t have to leave the kids, either,” he said, in the 
occasional moments when Danny allowed him to get 
close enough for speech. 

“ It’s all too good to be true,” said Ruth. 44 I only 
wish I could be here to see you as a 4 cub reporter ’ — 
isn’t that what they call beginners ? ” 

44 By Jove! You won’t be here — that’s so. Then 
whom, in thunder, can I confide in! I wish you hadn’t 
made yourself so agreeable — such a good comrade — so 
— indispensable — in fact, if you were going to take your- 
self out of sight, the very moment you’ve proved that 
you are useful beyond measure.” 

Ruth gave an uncertain little laugh. 44 Pray tell me, 
how did I know this time last year that there was any 
such person in existence as Frederick Marston Gayle, 
until Kitty introduced us — do you remember ? ” 

44 As if I could forget how you came tumbling 
through that gap in the hedge — and I wheeled around 
and almost stepped on your glasses. I always look on. 
that moment as the turning-point in my life.” 

44 Of course it was ! ” said Ruth, sniffing an under- 
current of sentiment, and backing away from it like one 
of her own broncos. 44 The Chief gave you a job and 
took you under her august protection. Lucky boy! 
You’ll always be lucky, Fred; you have what we novel- 
ists call temperament of the right sort; in other words, 
you are temperamentally and psychologically cut out for 
success.” 

44 Look here ! ” He gave a short pull to his rein that 
wheeled Danny round, much to that gentleman’s dis- 
273 


HELEN ORMESBY 


gust. “ If you put a word about psychology or tempera- 
ment in your novel, it shall be burned in the public 
square. Write about people and things; that’s all there 
is in the world, anyway, in spite of the dictionary. Good- 
by!” for while emphasizing his remarks Fred had 
slackened his rein, and Danny, feeling the freedom, had 
given a snort, had tossed his black mane, had laid his 
ears close to his head, and bolted ! 

Ruth gasped — her heart stood still — it was all so sud- 
den — and for the moment even she had lost her vigi- 
lance. She could feel Brownie quiver beneath her; she 
leaned forward and loosened the lariat from her saddle, 
then she, too, gave her pony his head. If only Fred 
would have presence of mind to get a grip of his reins 
again he would be safe; if not — the color left her face, 
but her nerve was splendid. She set her lips in a 
straight line and sped on, her breath coming short and 
quick. Her hope was in the two blacks ahead — trained 
horses with good riders; they might halt the runaway, 
if they turned in time. Always “ if.” The word ham- 
mered itself into her throbbing brain. She bent low in 
the saddle and used her spurs; now she could see the 
black speck in the distance. The others had not turned — 
a little nearer she came, and a low thankful cry escaped 
her; she could see the tall figure sitting as straight and 
immovable as if glued to the saddle, pulling on the reins 
with a strength against which the maddened horse fought 
vainly. The deadly fear of a moment before fell from 
Ruth like a load, Fred was fighting like a cowboy — and 
he would win. 

She stood up in her stirrups and her shrill “ Halloo ! ” 
cut the still air. From far away an answering signal 
came to her. The others would turn now ; she was soon 
274 


HELEN ORMESBY 


close enough to shout to Fred : “ Lean just a little to 
one side and hold on, I’m going to catch Danny ! ” 

The next moment the lariat whizzed through the air, 
and Danny was brought to a standstill so suddenly that, 
without Ruth’s warning, his rider would have been 
pitched, head foremost, out of the saddle. For a few 
seconds neither could speak; both were breathing heav- 
ily, and the two spent ponies joined in the chorus. Then 
Fred took off his cap and wiped his streaming face. 

“ How much do you — charge for that ride ? ” he 
panted. 

“ You — can — have it for nothing — you’ve earned it,” 
Ruth panted in reply. 

“ By Jove ! there Was one time when I thought the 
kids were going to be orphans again ; that made me mad. 
I hadn’t planned to die that way, and so I sawed the 
little brute’s mouth with all the strength I had.” 

“ The very thing ! ” cried Ruth. “ It saved your life 
and made Danny know his master ; no cowboy could have 
done better.” 

“ You flatter me ! ” Fred bowed, with his hand on his 
heart. “ I think I’ll slip off a bit, and see what’s become 
of my legs. I held on so tight that I don’t know if I 
really have any knee-joints left, or if I’m only tied to- 
gether with pieces of elastic.” 

“ Poor little Danny ! he looks like a whipped dog. 
And see his frothy flanks; he was bad and he knows it 
— which is more than can be said of many people. Here, 
give him a lump of sugar, I always carry some, and rub 
his nose, then he’ll feel that he’s forgiven.” 

“Has he feelings?” asked Fred, dubiously, while he 
obeyed orders. 

“ Yes, and you quite lacerated them by threatening 
275 


HELEN ORMESBY 


to burn my novel in the public square. Remember that. 
Here come the others — too late for the fun ! ” 

“ Well, what in the world is the matter? ” exclaimed 
Helen, glancing from one disheveled figure to the other, 
and of course the whole story had to be recounted, while 
they all rested under the shade of a spreading tree, and 
the brilliant morning sun came up from the east. 

They rode back in the dewy freshness of the day, 
and were about to slip into the house — after quietly 
leaving their horses in the stables — when the sound of 
Josephine’s violin broke the stillness. She played “ Hail, 
the Conquering Hero Comes,” and there was a flutter of 
summer gowns to the veranda. The twins ran down 
the steps with a wreath of glossy green. Alice removed 
Fred’s cap, and Elsie set the wreath upon his head, while 
Sylvia and Edith came forward with libations of foam- 
ing milk. 

“ Our first milking ! ” they announced proudly. 

“ We heard all about the race,” cried Sylvia. “ Jimmy 
Doyle, whose watchful eye never slumbers, saw it from 
the top of a gate-post. Hurrah for you, Fred! ” 

“ I wish you could have seen it, Miss Henrietta,” 
said Ruth, as they mounted the steps. “ Buffalo Bill 
couldn’t have given you a bigger show,” and she laughed 
at the old lady’s consternation, as she followed the others 
indoors, to change her dress for breakfast. 


CHAPTER XVI 


London, August First. 

My dearest Girl : 

It was suddenly borne to my mind that while I have 
been the recipient of many highly interesting letters from 
“Miss Ormesby, of the Farm” — as I hear you are called 
— I have contented myself with acknowledging them 
most gratefully, in letters to your mother ; but when the 
“round robin” Lorn the “Seven” reached me last week, 
and I found in it — besides a remarkable and concise 
bulletin of Farm affairs — such breezy, well-sketched por- 
traits of each one of you, I could not help feeling very 
contrite. 

Now, your mother hasn’t put me up to this; she 
doesn’t even know I’m writing to you, nor will she, un- 
til she opens the mail-bag and finds a letter to Miss 
Helen Ormesby, instead of her usual weekly budget. 
She might find, tucked away in the corner of the afore- 
said bag, a tiny little note to herself — which is not to be 
read aloud, for it is a love-letter. I still write them, 
Helen, after all these years, and the things I say in 
them are quite incompatible with my white hair, and my 
otherwise serious exterior, for the other party to the 
contract — to put it legally — has cheated time, and culti- 
vates, not only in herself but in me, a taste for the 
sugar-plums of youth. 

Had I known, when I waved good-by to the little 
group on the pier that windy March day, that whole sea- 
sons would come and go before we met again, I don’t 
think I could have done it. Many a time during the 
long and tedious process of adjusting things and handling 
the little complications that arose in delicate business 
matters, which even the “Seven” could scarcely under- 
277 


HELEN ORMESBY 


stand, I have longed to cut and run, and spend whole 
happy days at the Farm, for I know how lovely it is at 
this season, and your mother writes such glowing ac- 
counts of the way you girls are managing things, that 
I can scarcely believe my senses. And to think that my 
girl is responsible for these wonders, that her head has 
planned the whole economical scheme for the year, 
makes me prouder than I can say, and this — without 
disparaging her able fellow-workers, whose aid was in- 
dispensable; but I am sure they will all feel with me 
that their Chief has been an inspiration. 

Now I will talk a little — a very little — of my own 
affairs. When you came home, my dear, fresh from 
College and full of hope, it was all I could do to meet 
you half-way in your joyous plans; great rocks were 
looming ahead of me, even your mother could not half 
appreciate the danger, because she never knew. Her 
generous help tided me over, your sunny presence 
calmed my nervous fears. Your highly amusing though 
clever financial arrangements, your firm grasp of the 
situation — regardless of the nettles — showed me the in- 
domitable spirit of the Ormesbys. 

I own I was a little afraid of the outcome. I had 
a wholesome fear, too, of what Hugh might think — we 
parents as we grow older are more or less slaves to the 
opinions of our children — but I found the dear fellow 
only chagrined that he had no share in your glory, and 
I am truly rejoiced to hear that he has been able to lend 
his timely aid just when you needed it. 

So you see, little girl, the example of my children — 
indeed, of the illustrious “Seven” — has spurred me on. 
I think I may safely say we are out of the woods, the 
long and miserable tension is over, and many more than 
myself will have cause to rejoice. Before many weeks 
I will expect a deputation at the pier to welcome me 
home; but remember, I must see the Farm in all its 
glory of harvest-time, so do not open the town house to 
receive me. That will be “another story,” as Kipling 
says. 

I won’t call down paternal blessings on your head — 
I’m a very modern father — and the old way sounds 
278 


HELEN ORMESBY 


story-bookish. I don’t even bless the day that gave you 
birth, I’m just glad you’re here. I don’t sign myself 
“Your honored father,” but just 

Daddy. 

Helen looked up from her letter with shining eyes 
and smiled across at her mother. “ It’s all right and 
quite beautiful, Mummie dear, so you’ll get your sweet- 
heart home before another moon. Here, read it to the 
girls — I can’t — it’s really too — too 4 Daddyish,’ ” and 
Helen laughed in a shy, choked way as she made her 
escape. 

Praise from those she loved was very sweet to her, 
but this brought its little twinge of heartache, for she 
realized, more fully than at first, what a sacrifice her 
father had made in leaving home, and what his absence 
had meant to her mother, who had borne it so patiently 
and cheerfully. 

“ It’s all very well for Daddy to flaunt my prowess 
and stroke my feathers,” she said, when the “ Seven ” 
were discussing the interesting and exciting contents 
of the letter, “but it’s the quiet heroism that counts 
most. I doubt if the ancient ladies of Ormesby ever 
sent their husbands to the wars with the spirit Mummie 
has shown.” 

“ Three cheers for Mrs. Ormesby ! ” suggested Syl- 
via, from the depth of the hammock. The “ Seven ” 
were gathered in a corner of the veranda, and the girls 
gave them with a will, ending with the quaint old Col- 
lege yell, that echoed over the hills and brought a smile 
to Philip’s face as he joined the group. 

“ I was wondering if any of you would go for a 
row,” he asked. “ There’s promise of a gorgeous sun- 
set ; it would be a pity to miss it.” 

“Your invitation is so general that we don’t quite 
279 


HELEN ORMESBY 


know which one of us you want,” said Edith, with her 
most innocent air. 

“ Then all come ; the three boats are in, and the ca- 
noe’s there, too; perhaps your mother and Rita will 
join our sunset party,” he looked at Helen. “ Fred and 
Hugh have used me as a Mercury; they’ve had a dip 
and are dressing, so I came ahead.” 

“ Mother will go, I’m sure,” said Helen, “ but Rita 
is taking early tea at Lizzie’s with the kiddies. I would 
suggest Aunt Henrietta as a substitute, but her rheuma- 
tism would spoil the effect and eclipse the sunset. I’ll 
go for Mummie.” 

It was a merry party that wound its way down the 
rocky path to the river’s edge. The twins had taken 
possession of Mrs. Ormesby, who seemed to be a per- 
fect passion with them, and during the walk they used 
what Sylvia declared was undue influence, and secured 
her as their companion on the river. Hugh took Jo- 
sephine and Edith; Fred, Ruth and Sylvia, and whether 
accidentally or intentionally, only the canoe was left, 
rocking gently at the little landing. 

Philip thought merely of the good luck, as he held it 
steady for his companion to take her place, but Helen 
knew her mates, though she said nothing, as Philip sat 
happily opposite, sweeping the water lazily with his 
paddle. 

The three boats had spread out side by side, and 
were pulling slowly into the glory of the sunset. The 
two in the canoe let themselves drift with the tide, for 
the river was so still and so transparent that every tint 
of the gorgeous sky was reflected in its depths; there 
were banks of gold shading into a deep rose, patches of 
the blue sky faded to a pale turquoise peeped here and 
280 


HELEN ORMESBY 


there, while far in the west the vanishing sun left its 
blood-red trail. It was very impressive, very awe-in- 
spiring, to watch those colors, which even the greatest 
painters have failed to reproduce, and a deep stillness — 
which heralded the coming of night — brooded over all, 
for only low murmurs came from the boats ahead, and 
the two in the canoe were silent. 

Helen leaned back among the cushions, her eyes 
fixed on the mass of ever-changing clouds, while Philip 
was content to watch her, respecting her mood and in- 
dulging himself in alluring dreams of the future, which 
set his pulses throbbing. When the colors began to fade, 
and the violet hues of the evening enveloped them, Helen 
came back to earth with a little sigh: 

“ I often wonder if the people who do not believe in 
God ever saw a sunset,” she said. 

“ They certainly never saw a sunrise,” answered 
Philip. “ They are a set of very material earthlings, 
and are of no account in the world.” 

“ It’s all so solemn, so prophetic,” said the girl 
dreamily. “ It’s good to pause during the busy day, like 
this, and think — but there! how stupid I am, and you 
have been working so hard,” she laughingly pointed to 
his trailing paddle; he laughed, too, and the spell was 
broken. They could hear ripples of laughter from the 
boats ahead, and the girlish voices occasionally blended 
with Fred’s or Hugh’s deeper tones. 

“ Can you keep a secret ? ” asked Helen. 

“ Try me.” 

“You look trustable; Mummie knows, and I know, 
that’s all.” 

“ Then I must ! ” decidedly ; “ a triangle i$ never 
perfect without the third side.” 

281 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Edith is to have a birthday on Thursday, and it’s 
to be a day of surprises from beginning to end — per- 
haps some echo of it has reached you.” 

He laughed. “ There are five other girls besides your- 
self, and not all so discreet. Mr. Carlyle and his sister 
are coming to dine for one thing, and they will spend 
the night ; we are all doubling up to accommodate them, 
I understand.” 

“ Quite right, and there’s to be a surprise dance in 
the barn; lots of people are coming from the city and 
neighboring country places.” 

His face clouded. “ I can’t,” he said, “ not yet — 
you will excuse me, I know — but you understand.” 

“ Indeed, I do,” she cried warmly ; “ but the girls 
are fond of dancing, and so when they planned it all I 
just couldn’t say 4 no ’; do you mind? ” Her voice grew 
very gentle, and her eyes — full of unspoken sympathy — 
were raised to his. 

“ I don’t think I mind anything when you look at 
me like that,” he said slowly. 

“And you won’t be lonely?” ignoring his words. 

“ Oh, no ; I’ll stay on the deserted veranda and listen 
to the revelry, and once during the evening, a fairy 
princess will flit my way and sit out a dance with me, 
and then I’ll go to bed and dream till morning — is it a 
bargain ? ” 

“ Y-yes, I think so,” said Helen doubtfully, “ that 
is — if I can — I’m hostess, you know.” 

“ As such, you must take care of all your guests, 
remember.” 

“ But that is not the secret,” said Helen ; “ bend low 
and listen. Miss Burne-Elliot is going to motor out 
here and spend the week end with us, and not a soul 
knows. I’m giving her my room, and turning in with 
282 


HELEN ORMESBY 


Mother. Won’t it be fun to have her here — and can’t 
you imagine the girls’ faces when they see her? Now 
turn and paddle back, the others have far outstripped 
us, and we’ll just have time to dress for dinner.” 

“ ‘You’re to be Queen of the Day, Edith, 

You’re to be Queen of the Day’!” 

cried Helen, on the eventful Thursday, calmly para- 
phrazing the great poet, as she and the others, in the 
early morning, invaded the room she shared with Sylvia. 

Edith opened her blue eyes with the rapt look of the 
just-awakened sleeper, and sat up in bed, her blonde hair 
falling in picturesque ringlets over her neck and shoul- 
ders, to receive meekly the boisterous congratulations 
which opened the festivities. 

“ This is the day you are to do nothing for yourself,” 
announced Ruth. “ First of all, we are to be your tire- 
women. Sylvia, you know where she keeps her things, 
play maid and lay them out. Elsie, prepare her bath — 
put perfume in it. Alice, escort her to the door. Jo- 
sephine, throw that pretty dressing-gown over her, and 
thrust those little feet into those dainty slippers I see 
peeping from under the bed. Now, then, Miss Carlyle, 
ten minutes’ strict attention to duty will do the job, and 
make you clean and fair as the morning.” 

There was much jesting and laughing as the girls 
flew about on their self-imposed tasks. Sylvia laid out 
a dainty white linen sailor suit, with a broad collar of 
pale blue. Helen rummaged in her drawer of pretty 
lingerie for the required articles to complete her toilet. 
Alice brought out white shoes, with stockings to match. 
Elsie hovered round the toilet table, arranging brushes 
and combs and sorting hairpins for Josephine, who was 
always general hairdresser on state occasions, so by the 
19 283 


HELEN ORMESBY 


time Edith emerged — all pink and white from her cold 
plunge — she was seized upon and so deftly handled that 
she yielded with helpless laughter, while the girls passed 
her from one to another, in the various stages of dress- 
ing. 

Then she was borne downstairs, to be received with a 
volley of joyous greetings from the assembled family, 
which gathered round a table loaded with roses, and all 
sorts of pretty home-made gifts were showered upon 
her. Kitty and Will came over early, to act as her spe- 
cial messengers during the day, and the three young men 
laid offerings of candy and fruit before her, and she 
basked all day in the light of their society, for she was 
allowed to go nowhere unattended by a swain. Even 
Ann came up personally to inquire her wishes for lunch- 
eon and dinner, and if she spoke, the entire household 
hushed itself to listen. Miss Henrietta’s gift had been a 
crazy-looking blue shawl of her own knitting, and Ruth 
sat in a shady corner of the veranda, busy on a wreath 
of silk rosebuds, which the “ Queen of the Day ” was 
to wear among her golden tresses that evening. 

Helen issued orders for a general holiday, and be- 
yond the necessary out-door work, which could not be 
put off, the workers obeyed. 

“For honest hens will lay, 

No matter what the day,” 

sang Ruth. 

“ And the day’s supply of milk and cream must be 
attended to,” declared Sylvia. 

Edith’s was the only summer birthday; the others 
had been celebrated quietly at home, with little jubilees 
among the “ Seven,” but the girls were eager for a 
frolic. 


284 


HELEN ORMESBY 


The whole smiling country looked beautiful en fete , 
and preparations for the dance in the barn went on se- 
cretly all day, right under Edith’s unconscious nose. She 
knew her father and aunt were expected to dinner, and 
when Helen announced that the function would be 'a 
full-dress affair, she merely smiled and submitted, allow- 
ing the girls to robe her in her prettiest. They all chose 
white for this special evening, and very cool and charm- 
ing they -looked when they streamed out on the veranda, 
to welcome the guests whom Jerry drove from the sta- 
tion. 

Edith’s father was a handsome, soldierly looking 
man. The girls had always pictured him sedate and se- 
verely middle-aged, but in spite of his nineteen-year-old 
daughter, he looked anything but that ; at most, he could 
not have been much past the gateway of the forties, and 
his lithe slim figure and bright blue eyes gave him the 
appearance of a much younger man. His sister, Mrs. 
Garland, was evidently younger still, and wore her 
widow’s black lightly and becomingly. She was devoted 
to Edith, and rejoiced inwardly that the year’s proba- 
tion was nearly at an end, and that next winter she 
could “ bring out ” her beautiful niece in the proper and 
approved fashion. 

The two guests added much to the family party, for 
Mr. Carlyle was a brilliant talker and had traveled over 
the world, and both he and his sister took such unfeigned 
interest in the Farm and its development that they be- 
came favorites at once, and the “ Seven,” supplemented 
by Mrs. Ormesby and the three young men, with Rita 
and Miss Henrietta in the background, and the young- 
sters hovering on the brink of the lively conversation — 
were fascinated and entertained. 

Helen alone seemed absent-minded, and her atten- 

285 


HELEN ORMESBY 


tion wandered once in awhile; she glanced anxiously 
from time to time at her watch, then finally she heard 
the welcome rumble of a motor car coming nearer and 
nearer; it soon roused the attention of the others. 

“ Why, how funny ! ” exclaimed Ruth, whose trained 
ear always caught the slightest shade of sound. “ That 
car is not passing us by in the high road — I do believe 
it has turned in at the Lodge gates. Yes, there it is, 
rounding the curve leading up to the avenue. Who on 
earth — why, girls — girls — it’s Miss Burne-Elliot, and 
she’s waving to us ! ” 

Gathering up her fleecy skirts, Ruth fled down the 
steps, followed by the others, their ribbons and laces 
fluttering as they ran. The motor gave a final spurt and 
turned in at the porte-cochere, while many hands 
stretched out to help the girlish figure to alight. 

“ I was so afraid you wouldn’t get here on time,” 
said Helen, with a sigh of relief. “ I couldn’t have 
kept the secret much longer.” 

“ The secret!” cried the others in chorus. “You 
knew ? ” 

Helen nodded, laughing, while Miss Burne-Elliot 
chimed in with her beautiful voice. 

“ It has been a thoroughly hatched plan and care- 
fully arranged. Now, if I can unfurl this wrap and take 
off my hood, I wouldn’t look so like old Mother Bunch. 
Don’t bother about my chauffeur,” she added, as Helen 
made a motion to her brother, “ the car goes back to 
town and will return for me on Monday.” 

“ Then come right to your room,” said Helen ; “ you 
have plenty of time to change for dinner.” 

“ I don’t have to change,” said Miss Burne-Elliot 
laughing. “ I was fearful of being late, so I prepared for 
emergencies — see ! ” 


286 


HELEN ORMESBY 


She slipped off her silk motor coat and the girls be- 
held a vision, in a pale pink gown. She untied her hood, 
and her dark uncrowned head emerged in all its grace- 
ful proportions. “ But I will go to my room, if I may,” 
she added, turning confidentially to the others ; “ I must 
put a dab of powder on my nose, a function I never 
perform in public — necessary as it is. Come up with me, 
girls, I can’t lose you for a moment.” 

“ I think I’ll send an article to the paper, telling the 
world how Miss Burne-Elliot puts powder on her nose,” 
said Ruth, who stood by watching the operation. 

“ Take notes about me while I’m here, and jot down 
my peculiarities, I give you leave,” said Miss Burne- 
Elliot merrily. 

“ Really ? ” asked Ruth, “ I may take you at your 
word.” 

“ Do, I am in earnest. If I can launch you on your 
literary career I will be more than repaid. Whose birth- 
day am I supposed to celebrate ? ” she added, turning to 
Helen. “ You didn’t say in your letter, so I brought a 
gift that would be appropriate for any.” 

She rummaged in her satchel as she spoke, and fished 
out a small jeweler’s box, while the girls pushed Edith 
to the front, laughing and blushing like a pink rose. 
Miss Burne-Elliot caught the lovely face in her two 
hands, and kissed it French-fashion, on both cheeks. 

“ Remember, girls, I was dispassionate in my choice. 
I didn’t know who would receive this, but I flattered my- 
self that to any or to all it would be acceptable.” 

Edith’s excited fingers were busy with the string; 
inside the box was a smaller one of white velvet. This 
opened with a spring, disclosing a dainty dull gold locket 
on a slender chain; the eager fingers opened the tiny 
clasp and Edith gave a little cry of rapture and delight, 
287 


HELEN ORMESBY 


for a radiant Juliet smiled back at her, no less radiant 
indeed, than the smiling woman who stood by, watching 
the pretty picture, for the girls crowded about the lucky 
recipient, with not a single shadow on their bright young 
faces, as sincerely delighted over the gift as was Edith 
herself. Helen lifted it out of its box and clasped it 
round the white throat, till then devoid of any ornament. 
Miss Burne-Elliot clapped her hands. 

“ Bravo ! I like your spirit ; no wonder the ‘ Seven ’ 
succeed in what they undertake. If there was more of 
that in my profession there would be greater names 
among us. But wait,” she added, “ fearing there might 
be feeling, I came armed,” and she drew from the satchel, 
half-a-dozen boxes, the counterparts of Edith’s. 

To describe the scene would be almost impossible. 
There was such a clamor of excited voices that Miss 
Burne-Elliot put her hands over her ears, and then found 
herself caught in a tempestuous sea of embraces, from 
which she emerged laughing and crying for mercy, while 
Mrs. Ormesby appeared at the door to ask what was the 
matter. 

“ I should have welcomed you more properly, Miss 
Burne-Elliot,” she said in her cordial way, “ but these 
madcap girls of mine deserted our guests, and I was 
helplessly tied. Curiosity got the better of us all, so I 
came up to see.” Then she was called upon, not only 
to admire, but to clasp the little chains, and they all 
floated down, just as dinner was announced. 

Mary had done her artistic best to make the table 
beautiful. Ann had served up food for the gods, and the 
bubbling spirits of the company overflowed in bright 
speeches that kept every one in a perfect ripple of 
laughter, and when dinner was over, they sipped their 
coffee on the veranda, watching the stars come out, and 
288 


HELEN ORMESBY 


all but Edith, straining their ears to get the first sound 
of music from the barn. 

Fred and Hugh slipped away to light the lanterns 
which strung the place, and give the signal to the musi- 
cians, and as the chimes of the grandfather’s clock in the 
hall rang out nine, the music clashed upon the air. Edith 
started, and looked about her at the laughing, expectant 
faces, then suddenly it dawned upon her — 

“ A dance,” she breathed, “ and in the barn — look 
how it’s lighted ! ” for Fred and Hugh had rolled back 
the doors, and the brilliant illumination streamed out. 

Motor cars came speeding up the road, and in through 
the porte-cochere ; carriages rumbled to the step, all 
depositing their loads of laughing, merry guests. Edith 
was escorted in state to the barn, and soon the fun began, 
and the big veranda was deserted, save for the solitary 
figure in one corner, visible only in the darkness, by the 
light of a cigar. Helen paused for one moment in the 
doorway. 

“ Are you sure you don’t mind ? ” she said, apparently 
to the darkness. 

“ Come out and see.” 

She came, guided by his voice. 

“ Good night,” she said, holding out her hand. 

Philip laid down his cigar and caught it in both of 
his. 

“ Good night, little friend, it will not be for long, you 
know, you promised.” 

“ Did I ? ” innocently. 

“ I was under that impression — what time may I ex- 
pect you ? ” 

“ Like Cinderella — at twelve of the clock — I’ll get 
Jerry to bring me across. Only one dance, remember,” 
and she flitted away before he could argue the point. 

289 


HELEN ORMESBY 


The band was good, and the dreamy music filled the 
air. Philip Trent had much to think of as he sat alone, 
they were not unpleasant thoughts, though many of them 
were sad, for they hovered around the memory of his 
mother, whom he had loved with an uncommon de- 
votion. Once his solitude was broken, for Rita came 
to say good night. 

“ It was a lovely sight, Philip, I wish you could have 
seen it, such a riot of light and color — such pretty girls — 
lots of them came from the city you know; they can’t 
eclipse our girls though.” 

“ I should say not,” with emphasis, “ why didn’t you 
stay longer, Rita ? ” 

“ The children went, and I grew tired, the lights hurt 
my eyes, and I thought perhaps you wouldn’t mind com- 
pany for a few minutes.” 

“You dear little tired thing! so you thought of me 
in the midst of the gayety,” he took her crutches gently 
from her, and carried her to a comfortable armchair, 
fixing the cushions behind her in his kind “big-broth- 
erly” fashion. “You might as well rest here and tell 
me all about it.” 

“ Is there any one you wish particularly to hear 
about?” asked Rita, studying his face from her dark 
corner. “ Edith, I suppose ? ” 

“ You know better, you bad child, but there’s no use 
hiding things from your sharp eyes. I try not to wear 
my heart upon my sleeve.” 

“ It’s embroidered in such a deep red, that one cannot 
help seeing it, even on a black coat sleeve,” said Rita 
soberly. 

“ Then I must rip out the stitches.” 

“ You’d leave a scar ; it would show.” 

1 11 try and hide it then, for no one must know, and 
290 


HELEN ORMESBY 


you must forget it, little sister — for awhile. I am poor, 
and I have my way to make, I must not dream.” 

“ But dreams are pleasant,” said Rita softly. “ Maybe 
she has dreams too; she looks like it sometimes — since 
you came.” 

“ Do you mean that — she cares ? ” 

“ I don’t know. I watch people closely you see, be- 
cause I’m quiet and don’t talk much, and I can’t help 
seeing things.” 

“ What things?” 

“ Intangible fancies — I daresay. Philip, give me my 
crutches, I must go to bed.” 

“ But you said you’d stay.” 

“ I’ve changed my mind,” she declared laughing. 
“ You are too talkative, besides it’s nearly twelve and — 
I was to give you a message.” 

“Well?” 

“ Cinderella says she will be on time — now will you 
let me go? ” 

He gravely brought her the crutches and helped her 
out of the chair, walking beside her to the foot of the 
stairs. 

“ Wait — I’ll take you up,” he said, and Rita sighed 
in the fulness of content as his strong arms carried her 
like a featherweight. 

“ Good night, big brother,” she said, when he had set 
her gently on the ground and handed her the crutches. 

“ Good night, little sister,” he answered, and then he 
went down on the veranda again, to sit and watch till 
Helen came. 

“ Just a minute ! ” she exclaimed, as she ran lightly 
up the steps. “ Jerry is waiting down by the shrubbery to 
take me back.” 

“ Miss Ormesby, you promised me a dance, that lasts 
291 


HELEN ORMESBY 


more than a minute ; five is the minimum — usually ten— 
and if you 'sit out/ fifteen! I’ve even known persons 
who skipped a dance when they ‘ sat out/ ” 

“ Horrible ! ” exclaimed Helen, settling herself com- 
fortably in the big chair, "those persons had no con- 
sciences — I am different.” 

“ It was good of you to come at all,” he said, with 
unexpected humbleness that disarmed her. 

“ I wanted to come,” she answered. “ Mummie has 
been worrying about you all the evening; she thought it 
was shocking for us to leave you alone.” 

“ She is a darling ! ” cried Philip fervently, “ tell her 
so, when you go back, with my love.” 

“ I’ll not be Cupid’s messenger,” laughed Helen, “ and 
such flattery is bad, even for the best of mothers. What 
have you been thinking of to-night, ‘ alone and unob- 
served ? ’ ” 

It was a leading question and it had slipped out un- 
awares ; she was sorry when it had passed her lips, for 
he answered at once, in his direct way : 

“ Of you, naturally.” 

Helen flushed in the darkness; there was a moment’s 
silence, then: 

“ I wish you wouldn’t.” 

“ Wouldn’t what? Think of you ! It can’t be helped, 
ask me something easier.” 

“ I mean — I mean — ” floundering helplessly. 

He leaned across and took her hand, which lay on the 
arm of the chair nearest him. 

“ You are right. It is very daring, and I should not, 
now ; I will be very careful until I go away.” 

She raised startled eyes to his, after one or two 
ineffectual attempts to release her hand, “ Not yet, I 
hope,” she murmured. 


292 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Within a few weeks. My holiday has been all too 
long for a man who has to carve his own career. I 
must see several business friends of my father’s, who 
may put me in the way of what I want. This break in 
my life has been sweet and restful — but I dare not — I 
cannot in honor stay longer; do you understand — can 
you appreciate the temptation it is to be here? I must 
go out into the world and conquer, as I told you, and 
then — then — it may be years, but I can wait. Look at 
me, Helen — don’t take your hand away — answer me 
fairly. Would it be worth my while to work — and 
wait?” 

“ I — can’t — tell — ” she faltered. “ Life is so new 
and strange.” 

“ I know,” he said eagerly, “ you have much to see 
and learn, and you will have your choice among better 
men, perhaps, but may I wait, and work meanwhile ? ” 

She rose a little unsteadily, and he stood beside her, 
tall and grave and earnest. 

“ I must go,” she said, with a faint, tremulous smile. 
“ They will wonder what is keeping me, and the time is 
up,” for the insistent hall clock had struck the quarter. 

“ You haven’t answered my question yet,” he in- 
sisted. 

“ Must I?” 

“ Nor looked at me.” 

She raised her shy brown eyes to his for a fleeting 
moment, the next she laughed softly. “ My hand is still 
in your possession. I would like it please. I must go.” 

He bent his head and kissed it. 

“ Take it then,” he said, “ with my mark upon it. 
Good night, Helen Ormesby.” 

“ Good night, Philip Trent,” she answered, and then 
eluding his grasp, she ran down the steps and melted 
away into the darkness. 


293 


CHAPTER XVII 


T HERE is truly no more exciting moment than the 
coming into port of a great ocean liner, and on 
the fair September morning when Mr. Ormesby 
was expected, there seemed, to those most interested, an 
unusual flutter on the pier, for the “ Seven ” were there 
in full force, headed by Hugh and Mrs. Ormesby, while 
at a short distance from the pier, two little tugs were 
snorting and steaming, for the vessel had been sighted, 
and they were to tow her to her dock. 

The moment of arrival beggared description. There 
stood Mr. Ormesby on deck, waving his hat like a boy, 
and Mrs. Ormesby on the pier, regardless of interested 
bystanders, stretched out her arms as if they were quite 
long enough to span the churning, restless water between 
them. 

Down the gangway came the passengers, and before 
Mr. Ormesby’s feet had fairly touched American soil, he 
was almost swept away by the avalanche that fell upon 
him, and the people who passed smiled in sympathy, 
wondering if he was the father of an unusually large 
family, or the principal of a young ladies seminary. 
There was rather a long wait, as Mr. Ormesby’s name 
was far down on the list of the Customs officers, but 
finally he was free, his trunks put in the hands of the 
Express Company, and himself hurried to the open Vic- 
toria, which Jerry had in waiting. 

“The bride and groom will drive out,” said Hugh, 
294 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ we, girls, will take the train,” and they all trooped hap- 
pily away, leaving the two to enjoy, to their fill, these 
first sweet moments of reunion. 

“ Well, Jerry,” said Mr. Ormesby, as he put his wife 
in the carriage and shook hands with the old coachman, 
“ I hear it’s been a busy period at the Farm.” 

“ You’re right, sir, we’ve kep’ a-movin’,” answered 
Jerry, touching his hat. “ There ain’t a square foot of 
the place, sir, Miss Helen hasn’t made use of. It’s her 
has the head for pullin’ things through. Wait till you 
see the Ormesby Guard,” and Jerry’s eyes twinkled as 
he gathered up the reins. 

Their way lay through the pleasant harvest country, 
and the smell of new-mown hay was in the air. Mr. 
Ormesby gave a sigh of content as he leaned back in 
the comfortable seat beside his wife, and drank in the 
beauty of the landscape. 

“ How I have longed for this ! ” he said. “ Through 
every busy moment, Marian, the thought of home has 
haunted me, and now that I’m here, that endless stretch 
of months seems just a horrible nightmare.” 

“ To me it was a horrible reality,” said Mrs. Ormesby, 
with a tremulous little laugh. “ If it hadn’t been for the 
hum of activity always about me, and the ever-bubbling 
spirits of the ‘ Seven,’ I don’t believe I could have stood 
it, Will. You cannot imagine what they have accom- 
plished — why they’ve run the Farm! There hasn’t been 
an expense incurred that they haven’t been able to meet ; 
it has been marvelous. And through Helen’s systematic 
management of things, you wouldn’t guess the amount of 
work that goes on. I don’t know what we shall do next 
year — we can’t let things go back, after all Helen’s labor 
in pushing them ahead, and when the ‘ Seven ’ are ready 
to disband — Oh — I hate to think of it ! ” 

295 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ My dear, we won’t let things go back ; we can employ 
skilled labor to keep up the work, and Helen might honor 
us occasionally with her sage advice. You know we still 
have our girl, even when the others go home.” 

“Yes — ” said Mrs. Ormesby dubiously, “but she’s 
growing up so fast — and — she’s very attractive, you 
know.” 

“ Marian,” said her husband sharply, “ are there 
thieves around ? ” 

“ I’m afraid so — one.” 

“You needn’t tell me who it is — I know.” 

“And the worst of it is, I like him,” sighed Mrs. 
Ormesby. 

“ Oh, you soft women, with your big sympathies ! 
Watch me send him about his business. I’ll say ‘ hands 
off our girl, she’s ours for a long while to come.” 

“ But he’s so manly, Will, and he’s willing to wait.” 

“ So it’s come to that — he’s spoken to Mamma ? ” 

“ Only a few quiet words, and but a hint or two to 
Helen; the child told me; but she’s shy about her own 
thoughts, and I don’t press her.” 

“ Oh, I see ! ” said Mr. Ormesby, “ the mischief’s 
done.” 

Mrs. Ormesby nestled a little closer to her husband, 
and stole her hand into his. 

“ Marriage isn’t such a very bad thing after all,” she 
said. 

“ Ours is an exceptional case.” 

“ You reminded me once when the Experiment began, 
that I was not as old as Helen when I tried a still bigger 
experiment.” 

“ Look here, Marian, what is back of all this — are 
you sent ahead as an emissary, and are we to have an 
impromptu wedding when I get home ? ” 

296 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ Heaven forbid ! ” cried Mrs. Ormesby laughing 1 . 
“ Philip Trent has his way to win before he could think 
of such a thing. He has turned his back upon the College 
and is going into active business life; all he needs is a 
start, and he’s bound to succeed, for he has the right 
kind of ambition.” 

A smile crept round the Corners of Mr. Ormesby’s 
mouth. 

“ And what a champion ! Well, 4 forwarned is fore- 
armed,’ to use a trite phrase.” 

“ Oh, Will dear, do be kind, he’s-^he’s staying at the 
Farm.” 

“ The Dickens he is ! Though, of course, you wrote 
me, I remember.” 

“ He was so lonely you know.” There was tender 
pathos in her voice. 

“ You dear woman ! Well, I’ll do what I can to 
repair the mischief, but I must see for myself how the 
land lies. Hello ! what’s this? ” for they were approach- 
ing the Lodge gates, and lined up on either side stood 
half a dozen of the Ormesby Guard, straight as ramrods. 
As they saw the carriage they set up a shrill “ Rah, rah, 
rah ! ” and saluted military fashion. It was truly an 
imposing sight, and Jerry turned around to whisper im- 
pressively, with an uncontrollable wink of his eye. 

“ Them’s the guardeens of the fruit trees, Mr. Ormes- 
by. We never have stealin’ these days.” 

“Yes, I know, I heard,” and diving in his pockets, 
Mr. Ormesby drew forth a handful of coins, which he 
scattered among the boys as the carriage swept through 
the gates. 

What a welcome home that was! All the day was 
marked by festivity, and before the shadows fell, Mr. 
Ormesby had visited the various seats of industry, and 
297 


HELEN ORMESBY 


had heard with unfeigned admiration, the history of the 
six months’ trial, told as only the “ Seven ” could tell it, 
interlarded with bits of humor that at times convulsed 
him, yet through it all he detected that fine and generous 
spirit which had made of the “ Seven ” such a compact 
unit, and when he fell to praising them, it was Ruth who 
stopped him in her downright way, waving her hand in 
Helen’s direction. 

“ It’s the Chief you have to thank, Mr. Ormesby; the 
way hasn’t been easy, and many of us have balked at our 
jobs. There have been days, for instance, when I could 
have wished the entire poultry-yard at the bottom of the 
sea, but there was always Helen’s daily visit to look for- 
ward to, and a bit of cheerful gossip, with perhaps some 
jolly plan for the afternoon and evening; she was always 
sure to leave a ray of sunshine behind her. She is a 
rare combination, let me tell you. I think I shall put her 
into the greatest novel of the century.” And there was 
a titter among the group of girls clustered around Mr. 
Ormesby, for Ruth’s novel had become a matter of his- 
tory. 

Mrs. Ormesby had watched a little anxiously the 
greeting between her husband and Philip Trent, but when 
she saw the cordial smile upon the older man’s face, and 
the grave, steadfast look of the younger one, as he held 
out his hand, she felt somewhat reassured. After dinner 
Fred and the children joined the party, and there was 
more lively talk and chatter, until Mrs. Ormesby came 
to the rescue. 

“ Enough, good people ! Our traveler is done to 
death; he needs a night’s rest. Go home, Fred. Come 
girls, not another word, or my wrath will descend upon 
you. There is another day coming and much to talk 
about.” 


298 


HELEN ORMESBY 


And so they separated for the night, but the “ Seven ” 
did not go to bed. They stealthily assembled in Helen’s 
room, and waited for the house to grow quite still. Then, 
headed by Josephine, her violin tucked under her arm, 
they tiptoed down the stairs, grouped themselves quietly 
around Mr. Ormesby’s door, and the sweet, plaintive 
strain of “ Home, Sweet Home ” floated out upon the 
quiet air, while the girlish voices, hushed to midnight 
gentleness, took up the refrain. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ormesby had just fallen asleep when 
the sound awoke them. Hastily throwing on dressing 
gowns and slippers, they opened their door as the last 
notes died away. 

“No words could be sweeter, girls,” said Mr. Ormes- 
by, as he stood with his arm about his wife, in the 
shadowy doorway. “ From my heart I thank you all for 
this dear welcome home.” Stooping, he kissed each 
blooming cheek, and the “ Seven ” stole quietly to bed, 
well pleased with the result of their serenade. 

The next day opened in a very exciting manner, for 
Mr. Ormesby’s trunks had come, and the entire house- 
hold assembled in Mrs. Ormesby’s room, to be present 
at the unpacking, for no one had been forgotten, and 
Mr. Ormesby took a keen and boyish delight in bestow- 
ing the gifts, which were appropriate and beautiful. 

All the servants had been remembered in the most 
substantial way, and Miss Henrietta’s stern face relaxed 
as she smoothed the folds of a soft gray silk, and patted 
the black lace scarf which lay on top. Will nearly lost 
his head over a complete photographic outfit, and Kitty 
and Rita retired to a corner to compare workboxes, the 
like of which they had never seen before. The two young 
men received inlaid match-boxes of exquisite workman- 
ship, and Hugh, a superb toilet set of ebony and silver, 
299 


20 


HELEN ORMESBY 


over which the girls hung in envious rapture. By this 
time the contents of one trunk were nearly exhausted, 
and Mrs. Ormesby and the “ Seven ” were still out in 
the cold. 

“ Now,” said Mr. Ormesby, pushing forward another, 
and a larger trunk, “ before I open this very interesting 
receptacle, I want to say a few words, and I think I 
had better address them to you, Helen. I was anxious 
to bring home something specially lovely to the ‘ We are 
Seven Club/ At first I thought of some gifts commem- 
orative of all their good deeds and of this experimental 
year — perhaps a piece of jewelry; but after several let- 
ters had passed between your mother and myself, we 
decided on a different plan. I wrote personally to all 
the interested parents of these here assembled, inviting 
them to Helen’s coming-out party, early in November, 
and telling them that the ‘ Seven ’ would not disband until 
that date. Then, the good lady, my wife, and I, put our 
heads together, and decided to give the seven debutantes 
their ‘ coming out ’ gowns. I could not, with my limited 
knowledge of seams and gathers, have undertaken such 
a job, had it not been for a charitable lady friend, living 
in Paris, and blessed with consummate taste. Your 
mother sent all measurements direct from Miss Pierce, 
and — there’s the result — open up, Marian.” 

“ To slow music,” said Sylvia, “ I can hardly breathe 
from excitement.” 

Then the trunk was opened, and all they could see 
were wads and rolls of tissue paper, stuffed in with all 
a Frenchwoman’s care and skill, and then, one by one, 
out came the lovely, soft, white silky gowns, the costly 
simplicity of which only a woman could appreciate. 
There were no two alike, some were pure white, others 
were cream or ivory-tinted, and the only thing at all 
300 


HELEN ORMESBY 


uniform about them, was the fall of rare lace from each 
low neck. 

“ That was my idea, girls," said Mrs. Ormesby, when 
they exclaimed in rapture over the lace. “ I wanted you 
all to have something which would outlast even a 
debutante's gown." 

“ Mine has already become an heirloom," said Ruth, 
peering through her glasses at the wonderful hand- 
wrought design. 

“ There’s another layer at the bottom, Mummie," said 
Helen, when the seven gowns had been given to their 
respective owners, and the excitement had somewhat 
subsided. 

“ Why, so there is ! " cried Mrs. Ormesby. “ I don’t 
believe this trunk has a bottom," and she fished up a 
large and suspicious-looking bundle, with her own name 
upon it. She flushed like a girl, and sank into a con- 
venient chair. “ Will ! you’ve done something dreadful, 
I know." 

“ Only your ‘ coming out ’ gown," he said laughing. 
“ I sent secretly to Miss Pierce for the measurements." 

And forth from its many wrappings came a mar- 
velous lace robe, made over the palest violet silk. 

“ By the Lord Harry ! but you had duty to pay, Dad," 
cried Hugh, aghast. 

“Yes, I admit it, but no matter how heavy the duty, 
the pleasure of this moment far outweighs it," he added 
gallantly. 

Then he looked smilingly across at the young men. 
“ Suppose we leave these feminines to gloat in their own 
peculiar way, and adjourn to my study for a smoke." 

But Hugh and Fred were on teamster duty for the 
rest of the morning, and only Philip Trent accepted the 
cordial invitation. This was just what Mr. Ormesby 
301 


HELEN ORMESBY 


wanted, and when, an hour later, the younger man came 
out and went up three steps at a time to his room, there 
was a radiant look upon his face, which had not been 
there before. 

“ May I come in, Daddy? ” Helen stood in the open 
doorway, smiling across the big table at her father. 

“Of course you may — what have you come for?” 

“ To thank you for the beautiful, beautiful gown. Oh, 
Daddy, it was lovely of you to think of us all that way,” 
and she perched herself in her favorite position on the 
arm of his chair, while a sudden shyness came over her, 
and she fell to nervously fingering the buttons of his 
coat. 

“ I wish you had been home longer,” she said at 
last ; “ you feel so — so strange and new — that — that — it’s 
a little hard to — to — get used to you — and I wanted to 
talk to you — about — something.” 

“ If it concerns Philip Trent, I will hear nothing,” 
said Mr. Ormesby in a firm voice, though his eyes, turned 
away from the wistful young face at his elbow, were full 
of mirth. “ Now, see here, little girl,” he said, facing 
her suddenly, “ we may as well have it out. The man 
who presumes to covet the sunshine in our home, must 
have a sun-parlor in which to house it. I’ve had a talk 
with Philip Trent, and I believe he understands. He’s 
going away — that’s the only cure for it.” 

“ Going away ! ” cried Helen. 

Mr. Ormesby nodded. “ Yes, he’s secured a position, 
a very important post abroad, which may keep him a 
year at least, on the other side.” 

“ Why, he never told me — ” began Helen, then she 
suddenly turned rosy red and flung her arms around her 
father’s neck. “ It’s you, Daddy ; you’ve given him the 
opening, you blessed, blessed child ; how amply you repay 
302 


HELEN ORMESBY 


my careful bringing up ! ” and Helen, half -laughing, half- 
crying, hid her face upon his shoulder. 

“ I want to get rid of him, you see,” said Mr. Ormes- 
by, stroking the bronze hair, “and that’s the best way 
out of the difficulty. I fancy he has business ability — 
possibly I am mistaken, but time will show. Meanwhile 
your mother and I intend to hold our treasure, and guard 
it like the famous Ormesby garnet. Do you hear, Miss ? ” 

“ Yes, sir,” meekly. 

“ There is to be strict attention to the business of 
‘ coming out ’ next winter, and having a good time, and 
making the house gay for your mother and me — is it 
a bargain?” 

Helen got up and stood before him, looking down 
into his eyes, with her clear, frank gaze. 

“And after?” she asked. 

“ Put this same question a year hence — and we’ll see. 
Will that satisfy you ? ” He rose too, and laid his hands 
gently on her shoulders. “ Stay Helen Ormesby just a 
while longer, little daughter ; it’s a rare, sweet name, and 
one that we love and admire.” 

“ Luncheon is served,” said Phyllis, at the door, and 
so they put away sober things and joined the others. 

On the last day of September, the “ Experiment,” 
undertaken a year ago, was sat upon by competent judges 
and pronounced an unqualified success. On that event- 
ful night Mr. and Mrs. Ormesby were summoned by the 
“ Seven ” to attend a business meeting in the attic. 
Wondering and amused, they obeyed. They were evi- 
dently the last arrivals, and when their eyes had become 
used to the tremulous rays cast by the swinging lamp 
which hung from the rafters, they saw that the limited 
space was fairly well filled. 

At the old three-legged desk sat Helen, surrounded 
303 


HELEN ORMESBY 


by her mates, with Rita and Miss Pierce in the back- 
ground. An improvised “private box,” fenced off with 
old portraits, contained the handful of interested out- 
siders; Philip Trent, Miss Henrietta, Mrs. Dennison, and 
by special request, Will and Kitty, who could not bear 
to be left out of anything. On trunks and old boxes, 
a little to one side, were ranged the six servants, under 
whom the girls had trained, their forces swelled by Lizzie, 
whose instructions in the dairy were not to be overlooked. 
Cross-legged on the floor beside them, sat Jimmy Doyle, 
whose services had certainly augmented the fruit crop, 
and Fred and Hugh, each leaning against a rough pillar, 
looked down from their superior height upon the char- 
acteristic, if motley gathering. Two time-worn chairs 
had been provided for the guests of honor, and Helen, as 
spokesman, rose impressively: 

“ The time has come,” she said, “ when the ‘ Seven ’ 
are about to yield, into the proper keeping, the keys of 
domestic government.” She took from her desk two 
tremendous brass ones, each tied with a huge red bow. 
“ These represent, respectively, the Farm domain and the 
big house in town, and we are returning them with grati- 
tude, for they have unlocked for us the secrets of many 
things. Bluebeard’s wife could not have been more 
ignorant of her husband’s secrets, than we * Seven,’ of 
the mysteries which those keys guarded, and even now,” 
with a little smile, “ we are just waking to the conscious- 
ness of how little we really do know, after all. That 
we have succeeded in a small way, however, I trust even 
the most skeptical will admit,” with a glance in Miss 
Henrietta’s direction. “We have received the best in- 
struction, and we would like to have the opinion of our 
teachers concerning our progress. Miss Reilly, will you 
please state your experience ? ” 

304 


HELEN ORMESBY 


The mystified look on the faces of her audience gave 
way to intense amusement as she sat down, and Ann’s 
portly figure loomed up. Within the compass of her 
limited world, the conventional surname had been tucked 
out of sight for so long, that people had forgotten her 
claim to any. 

“ It’s pretty nigh a year back,” said Ann, “ when we 
six was called into the library and asked to take hold 
and help along by teachin’ the young ladies how we done 
things. If there’s one thing I can’t abide it’s a greenhorn, 
an’ grass wasn’t anything like the color of these — every 
last one of ’em. My land ! the things I had to put up with 
them first two months, you’d never believe — an’ then 
come a time when I had my special likes, an’ could pick 
out my favor-ites. There’s three among ’em — I ain’t 
mentionin’ names — as the Lord has gifted, not even a 
husband could phase ’em, but that ain’t takin’ the credit 
away from them as wasn’t born to cookin’, so to speak. 
I ain’t here to pick an’ choose; there ain’t one but has 
her good p’ints — an’ I’m proud to say every mother’s 
child could turn her hand — at a pinch — to gittin’ three 
meals a day without upsettin’ of the whole house.” 

Jerry didn’t wait to be called, he was on his feet next. 

“ Ann didn’t tell you one thing,” he said, with a 
chuckle. “ She clean forgot to mention that after she’d 
gave her promise to help, in the library, that night, she 
stormed an’ stamped in the kitchen, good Ann-fashion. 
All their backs was up, except mine, I was dead sure 
Miss Helen would pull through from the very beginning 
I never had no doubts of a Darcy yet,” with a smile at 
his mistress, “ ‘an’ a Darcy an’ a Ormesby,” sez I, ‘ can’t 
lose.’ But I own up, I never did see sech a takin’ hold. 
Nothin’ stumped any one of ’em in my line, an’ you only 
had to show things once, to have ’em do it better than 
305 


HELEN ORMESBY 


you could do it yourself next time. I ain’t the fine talker 
that Ann is,” with his own irrepressible twinkle, “ but I 
can tell you what I said that night when they all cackled 
together — even John j errin’ a bit: ‘ I’ve been servin’ in 
the Darcy family twenty-five years, an’ Miss Helen’s 
goin’ to carry this scheme through, I know her better 
than you do, an’ I won’t have her laughed at when I’m 
around,’ that’s what I said, an’ they soon quit laughin’, I 
tell you. I can’t say much about my teachin’, but their 
learnin’ ! Just look at the Farm — it never was in better 
trim — an’ I’m put to it to know how to manage next 
year. Of course,” with a grin, “ I’ll always have Jimmy 
here to help me.” 

“ Right-o ! ” murmured Jimmy, twirling his white cap 
dexterously around on one finger. 

Phyllis and Mary were very bashful, but Mary was at 
length induced to give her testimony for both. 

“ We’re wishing it could all happen again next year,” 
she said, with her charming Irish smile. “ I’m sure what 
the young ladies don’t know, don’t count much. They 
never put themselves above doin’ anything; there was 
no job however small an’ mean, they wasn’t up to — an’ 
kind an’ nice to us girls from the beginnin’ to the end. 
I just hate to think of their breakin’ up an’ going away, 
an’ there isn’t one of us that wouldn’t cut ourselves in 
little pieces to serve ’em.” 

“ As for laundry work,” said Bridget, “ I’ve never 
had a dress or a shirt-waist of theirs to iron since they 
took hold, an’ the sunshine they brought along was 
enough to bleach the clothes in the winter time. I didn’t 
want to teach ’em how to wash the clothes at first, but 
they would learn from the bottom up, and with them 
here to do the work, I could give up my job to-morrow, 
an’ you wouldn’t miss me.” 

306 


HELEN ORMESBY 


As for John, he would have remained mute, but Jerry- 
called out: “ Speech, speech, Johnny, if you’ve got a 
tongue,” and John rose reluctantly. 

“ There ain’t much I can say ; the ‘ Seven,’ as I hear 
Miss Helen callin’ ’em, is good sports. They can take 
hold with both hands an’ pull anything through. If they 
was to tell me they could get a bale of cotton through a 
keyhole, I’d believe ’em.” 

He sat down amid thunderous applause, for he cer- 
tainly voiced the popular sentiment in his childlike faith. 

Lizzie’s pupils blushed modestly when her praises 
were bestowed, and then there was an impressive pause, 
when little Miss Pierce rose timidly from her corner: 

“ I’m no talker,” she began, “ but I’ll show you some- 
thing more eloquent than words.” At her signal the Club 
arose in a body. “ Every dress was made by its owner,” 
she announced, and truly the array before the spectators 
was a credit to the teacher, for the pretty gowns were 
fashioned with taste and skill, suiting admirably the style 
of the wearer. “ These are just a few among the many,” 
went on Miss Pierce. “ I cannot begin to tell you the 
enormous amount of practical work accomplished in this 
line among the ‘ Seven.’ No more dependence upon 
dressmakers — no more blind waste of money — my trade 
has taught true values, if it has accomplished nothing 
else — all can see the result.” 

“ As to millinery,” said Rita, in her quaint way, “ I 
can only offer statistics with which the Club has furnished 
me. Last year each member paid an average of one 
hundred dollars for her supply of hats; this year our 
millinery class has accomplished the same work at exactly 
half-price, besides providing more suitable and becoming 
headgear.” 

“ I’m not in the corps of teachers,” said Fred, “ in- 

307 


HELEN ORMESBY 


deed, I’m one of the workers, and a very humble one, but 
a word must be said for the financing of this whole 
economical scheme. One head has planned it, and all 
hearts beat as one, in carrying it through. There is 
where the strength of nations lies, and the noble ‘ Seven ’ 
have dug down to the root of the matter.” 

“ Three cheers for the Chief ! ” cried Ruth, rising 
suddenly to her feet and sweeping everybody with her, 
and the enthusiasm rang to the very rafters. 

“ One word,” cried Hugh. “ I can’t say much, for 
sailors are not eloquent, but we must not forget the origin 
of the great Experiment; the cause indeed has been 
happily removed, and the House of Or-mesby stands 
more firmly than ever upon its historic foundation. My 
little sister may not have gone through Annapolis, but 
she’s a Captain when it comes to commanding her crew 
and steering her craft into smooth waters.” 

“ Rah-rah-rah ! ” shouted Jimmy Doyle, who felt that 
his voice must be raised somewhere. This provoked an- 
other demonstration, and Helen rose again when the 
noise had subsided; with the keys still in her hand, she 
walked gravely to her father and mother : 

“ You entrusted us with a big problem,” she said, 
“ you put the keys into our hands and I am returning 
them untarnished,” and she handed one to each. 

“ Why, they are no longer brass,” cried Mrs. Ormes- 
by. “ They have turned to gold ! ” 

With the fall of the leaves, came a change in many 
things, and when October was putting on her gorgeous 
tints, there was an exodus to the City. . The “ Seven,” 
grown wiser and nobler through the year’s experience, 
turned half-sadly from the beauty and peacefulness of 
the Farm — truly now they had come to a parting of the 
ways. Hugh had preceded them to the City to join his 
308 


HELEN ORMESBY 


ship, which was in harbor. Philip had also left them 
to complete his final arrangements before sailing for 
London, which was to be his headquarters for the en- 
suing year. The girls were eager to return to meet the 
relatives who had come to claim their own, and the 
moment the big Fifth Avenue mansion got out of its 
summer wrappings, all sober thoughts were brushed aside, 
in preparation for Helen’s debut. 

It was one of the earliest affairs of the season, and the 
society columns of the papers were full of it. The great 
house was aglow with the wonder and beauty of it, and 
the seven white-robed debutantes were not soon for- 
gotten. 

Helen was radiant as she stood beside her mother, 
and Philip, watching her from the doorway, felt a great 
pang, for to-morrow he would sail, and a year or more 
would stretch between him and his desires. Yet, after 
all, there was much to be thankful for, and he rejoiced 
that little Rita had found such a fair home. 

“ She must be my little sister,” said Helen. “ I shall 
feel so lonely with the others gone, and Rita and I can 
have our memories together.” 

“ Then I know you will sometimes speak of me,” 
cried Philip joyfully, “ for Rita is fond of her big 
brother.” 

Helen laughed softly, but only her brown eyes spoke 
for her. She was the most elusive person. 

The last strains of music had died away; the gay 
throngs of guests had melted away; the much-talked-of 
evening had passed into history; but the seven white- 
robed figures lingered long after, in Helen’s room — loth 
to part, for the morrow would see them scattered. 

“ It’s been a wonderful year ! ” cried Sylvia. 

“ It’s been a full year,” added Ruth. 

309 


HELEN ORMESBY 


“ There may be many sweet and happy years of our 
lives, but none like this,” said Edith softly. 

“ I wish we could live it over,” cried the twins. 

“ Oh, I shall miss you ! ” and the tears stood in 
Helen’s eyes. 

Josephine could not speak, but she took up her violin, 
and in the hush of the new morning, she played softly to 
them, as she had never played before, and into each girl’s 
heart, smarting with its first pang, fell the balm her 
music always brought. 


(i) 


The End. 























BOOKS FOR GIRLS 


The Girls of Dudley School 

By Ellen Douglas Deland, Author of “Oakley” etc. 

Illustrated in color. Large 12mo, Cloth, $1.50 

This is one of the most attractive stories of recent years. It narrates 
the doings of Angelica Stafford, Nan and Sally Rutherford, Sylvia Des- 
mond and their friends and teachers at boarding school, indoors and out, 
throughout the school year. There is tennis match in the fall ; the girls 
go to a Harvard- Yale football game; and there are all sorts of good times, 
as well as by some exciting incidents. 


That Freshman 

By Christina Catrevas. Illustrated in color. 12mo, 
Cloth, $1.50. 

This is a story of class life at a girl’s college, the college in this case 
being Mount Holyoke. The story exhibits to a remarkable degree the 
spirit of college life, and abounds with experiences and incidents 
of interest which are of great fidelity to girl nature. The heroine is a 
very attractive girl, whose impulsive nature gets her into innumerable 
scrapes, but whose fine attributes of character soon place her in a position 
of leadership to her classmates. 

Elinor’s Junior Hop 

By Grace Ethelwyn Cody. Illustrated in color. Large 
12mo, Cloth, $1.50. 

Elinor Halbert is invited by her brother Rodney to be his guest at 
his fraternity house during the festivities connected with Junior Hop. 
The story describes the remarkably good time she had at dances, sleigh 
rides, amateur theatricals, etc., and introduces a score of charming people. 
The story is notable for its combination of high spirits and high ideals. 

Marcia of the Little Home 

By Emily Calvin Blake. Illustrated, Cloth, $1.20 net. 

A book which girls, young and old alike, will enjoy. Marica, 
little mother to a large and poverty-stricken family, is a creature to cap- 
ture hearts and to hold them. Her childish impishness, her cheery dis- 
position, her lovely manners and original methods keep her family out 
of gloom and the reader in constant amusement. 


APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK 


495 


BOOKS FOR GIRLS 


The Fortunes of Phoebe 

By Ellen Douglas Deland, author of “The Girls of 
Dudley School.” Colored Pictures. Large 12mo, Cloth, # 1.50 

This book tells the story of a little girl who, until she was eleven 
years old, lived in a remote mountain village with her aunt. Obliged 
suddenly to find a new home, she goes to Boston in search of an uncle 
whom she has never seen. She at last finds her uncle, but even then her 
adventures are not over. 

Helen Ormesby 

By Belle Moses, author of “Louisa M. Alcott,” “Dickens 
and His Girl Heroines,” etc. Colored Pictures. Colored In- 
lay on Cover. Large 12mo, Cloth, #1.50. 

A delightful story of some girls who are just out of college. Led by 
Helen Ormesby, they decide not to disband their “We Are Seven” Club 
and forsake dancing and pleasure for a course in domestic economy. 
Helen, who naturally occupies the foreground, is a wholesome American 
girl, who is left a big house with no money to run it, and she and her 
friends turn to work out the problems of housekeeping in most interest- 
ing fashion. 

The Gentle Interference of Bab 

By Agnes McClelland Daulton. Pictures by Florence 
Storer. Large 12mo, Cloth, #1.50. 

Bab Howard, a girl with strong convictions, tries to run the world 
about her, and finds that interference is not always wise, even though 
prompted by a loving heart. Yet Bab does manage to start a pickle fac- 
tory, bring an actress mother home to her children, steer an ancient love 
affair to a successful finish, and finally bring a family together in a way 
which seemed impossible before. 

Nora-Square- Accounts 

By Fanny L. McKinney. Colored Pictures. 12mo, 
Cloth, #1.50. 

The story of a brave, motherless little girl upon whom devolves the 
care of a younger brother and sister. Their father is an inventor, a man 
of unusual ingenuity, but careless and impecunious. He invents a novel 
flat-iron, which he exhibits at various expositions, and the children travel 
with him, figuring in many adventures. 


D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK 


496 







OCT 4 1912 














































































































































































































































































































































































































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